SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir Government has said implementation of the Supreme Court judgment concerning regularisation of Rehbar-e-Taleem (ReT) empanelled teachers is under active consideration, with the School Education Department awaiting complete district-wise information from the Directorate of School Education Kashmir.
The Government said the process involves a large-scale verification exercise and that necessary action would be taken after the requisite information from both Jammu and Kashmir directorates is received and examined in accordance with the Supreme Court’s directions and applicable rules.
The issue was raised by Khurshed Ahmad Shiekh, MLA from Langate, through Un-Starred Assembly Question No. 1/6/199, seeking the reasons for non-implementation of the judgment in Government of J&K & Others versus Seba Wani & Others, SLP No. 12210/2023, and the timeline for its implementation.
The School Education Department said that after dismissal of its review petition against the Supreme Court judgment, it initiated several measures to examine and implement the ruling.
As part of the process, the Government issued Order No. 230-JK(Edu) of 2026 on June 15, 2026, appointing Thannaji Bhat, Under Secretary to the Government, School Education Department, as Nodal Officer for examination and monitoring of matters relating to ReT select panels.
The department subsequently wrote to the Directors of School Education Jammu and Kashmir on June 29, 2026, seeking district-wise details of candidates involved in the litigation.
The information sought included advertisement notices, village or halqa and zone details, select panels, academic qualifications, the status and pendency of litigation and other relevant particulars.
The matter was referred to the Department of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs on June 30, 2026 for its legal opinion.
In its response dated July 14, 2026, issued through U.O. No. LAW-LIT/4/1095/2026-10, the Law Department advised that several aspects should be verified before further action is taken.
These included the genuineness and date of select panels, availability of vacancies, whether individual candidates had approached courts, the current status of such litigation, educational qualifications and other eligibility conditions.
The Law Department also observed that, given the detailed Supreme Court judgment and its exercise of powers under Article 142 of the Constitution of India, the prospects of succeeding in a review petition appeared bleak.
Following the legal advice, the School Education Department sought the required information from both directorates as a precondition for taking a considered decision on implementation.
The Government said the information from the Directorate of School Education Jammu has been received and is currently being examined.
However, the Directorate of School Education Kashmir has informed the department that the remaining information is expected to be furnished in the coming days.
The Government said the scale of the exercise had contributed to the time being taken in implementing the judgment.
It did not specify a fixed deadline, stating instead that action would be initiated after receipt and examination of the complete information from both directorates.
The department said implementation would be carried out in accordance with the Supreme Court’s directions and the rules governing the matter.
