SRINAGAR: The Directorate of School Education Kashmir (DSEK) has approved the confirmation of teachers who had been working as In-charge Masters from December 1, 2014, on a notional basis, with monetary benefits to be provided prospectively, following directions from the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT).
The decision covers petitioners in two cases — O.A. No. 727/2022, titled Latief Ahmad Jehra and Others versus UT of J&K and Others, and O.A. No. 152/2024, titled Aijaz Ahmad Lone and Others versus UT of J&K and Others.
According to Government Order No. 440-DSEK of 2026, dated November 6, the confirmation has been approved in pursuance of the decision of the Divisional Level Departmental Promotion Committee (DDPC) taken on December 31, 2025, and subsequent directions of the School Education Department.
The teachers had been placed as In-charge Masters in their own pay and grade against available vacancies during 2013-14 as a stop-gap arrangement, pending consideration by the Divisional Level Departmental Promotion Committee.
The matter reached the Tribunal after teachers belonging to reserved categories challenged the non-consideration of their confirmation as Masters.
In its orders dated February 22 and March 7, 2024, the Tribunal directed the authorities to consider their claims for substantive confirmation on the same analogy as similarly placed In-charge Masters in the Jammu Division, whose cases had been dealt with under Government Order No. 17-DSEJ of 2018, dated January 4, 2018.
The Tribunal also directed the department to release charge allowance from the dates the applicants had been placed as In-charge Masters.
However, the Administrative Department rejected the confirmation claim of the applicants in O.A. No. 727/2022 through an order dated August 6, 2024, prompting them to file a contempt petition.
On May 1, 2025, the Tribunal observed that its earlier directions had not been followed in letter and spirit and directed the authorities to issue a fresh, reasoned speaking order in accordance with its February 22, 2024, judgment within four weeks.
Subsequently, the Administrative Department directed the Directorate to place the cases before the Divisional Level Departmental Promotion Committee in accordance with the reservation rules applicable at the time of the teachers’ placement.
The committee, in its meeting on December 31, 2025, agreed in principle to grant notional effect to the petitioners’ confirmation from the respective dates of their placement as In-charge Masters.
The Directorate later proposed extending the benefit of notional regularisation or confirmation from December 1, 2014, to 982 candidates, including petitioners and non-petitioners, to protect the seniority and pay fixation of teachers appointed between 1999 and 2005.
However, the Administrative Department, in its communication dated October 6, 2026, directed the Directorate to proceed with the petitioners’ cases in accordance with the committee’s decision and its earlier instructions of February 2, 2026.
Regarding the proposed benefit for 869 non-petitioners, the Administrative Department sought a separate proposal containing complete case-wise details, specific recommendations and individual financial and service implications.
The latest order grants confirmation only to the petitioners whose personal files and relevant documents have been received from the respective Chief Education Officers.
The confirmation will remain subject to the terms and conditions laid down in their original placement orders. The Chief Education Officers have also been directed to verify the genuineness of the appointments against the original orders issued by the competent authority before implementing the decision.
The order has been issued by the Director of School Education Kashmir.
