Kumari Selja Seeks Fair Policy for Haryana Guest Teachers, Flags Vacancies

Congress leader says nearly 12,000 guest teachers have served for about 21 years; urges dialogue, recruitment and a lawful resolution of service-related concerns

CHANDIGARH: Sirsa MP, former Union minister, Congress national general secretary and Congress Working Committee member Kumari Selja has expressed concern over the future of guest teachers who have been working in Haryana’s government schools for many years. She said nearly 12,000 guest teachers had served in the state’s government schools for around 21 years, but their demand for regularisation remained unresolved.

Selja urged the Haryana government to formulate a fair and practical policy that considers the teachers’ experience, contribution to public education and need for future security. She said the length of their service and the role they have played in keeping schools functioning should be considered sensitively while the government examines their long-pending demand.

According to Selja, guest teachers have made an important contribution to maintaining educational services, particularly in rural areas where schools have faced shortages of teachers. Their continued work, she said, has helped schools operate despite staffing constraints. She argued that a policy response should take into account both the teachers’ years of service and the broader staffing needs of the education system.

Reported Vacancies Raise Questions Over School Staffing

Selja also highlighted the reported shortage of teachers in government schools. Citing available information, she said around 29,866 teaching posts were reported vacant across Haryana. She said many schools were operating with limited teaching staff and called on the government to publish an accurate picture of vacancies across the state.

She urged the government to speed up regular recruitment and make the actual vacancy position public. A clear and updated assessment, she said, would help identify staffing gaps and enable the education system to plan recruitment according to the needs of schools. The vacancy figure was cited in her statement and was not independently verified for this report.

The Congress leader also raised concerns about teacher shortages and inadequate basic facilities in higher education institutions. She said the challenges facing colleges and other higher education institutions should also receive attention, alongside the staffing problems reported in school education.

Her remarks linked the guest teachers’ demand with wider questions about staffing and the functioning of public educational institutions. She called for transparent information about vacancies and quicker action on regular recruitment, while urging the government to consider the concerns of long-serving guest teachers.

Calls for Dialogue on Contractual Employees’ Service Security

Selja said issues concerning service security and regularisation of contractual employees working in different departments should be resolved in accordance with applicable legal provisions. She called for a lawful and practical approach to these cases, taking into account the rules and provisions that govern the employees concerned.

She appealed to Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini to hold discussions with representatives of guest teachers and work towards a workable solution. Dialogue, she said, could help the government understand the concerns of teachers and assess possible ways forward within the relevant legal framework.

Her statement called for attention to three connected areas: the long-pending demand of guest teachers, the reported vacancies in government schools and the service-related concerns of contractual employees. She also stressed that staffing shortages and infrastructure gaps in higher education deserved consideration.

The government has been urged to engage with representatives of guest teachers, clarify the number of vacant posts and accelerate regular recruitment. Selja’s appeal places the emphasis on a policy response that recognises years of service while remaining consistent with applicable legal provisions.

BOX STORY: Selja Says Gairsain Participation Signals Public Discontent

In a separate statement, Congress national general secretary and party in-charge for Uttarakhand Kumari Selja said the participation of Congress workers and members of the public in the Gairsain Assembly gherao reflected growing public dissatisfaction in the state.

She said people were raising concerns over inflation, unemployment and other public issues. Selja described the participation in the protest as a sign that these matters were drawing public attention. Her remarks were presented as the Congress leader’s assessment of the political situation.

Selja also claimed that lakhs of people from Haryana, Uttarakhand and other parts of the country would attend a rally proposed in Delhi on November 1. According to her statement, participants would express opposition to the policies of the Central government through democratic means. The expected attendance is a claim made by Selja and has not been independently verified.

The Gairsain and Delhi rally remarks are separate from her comments on Haryana’s guest teachers and education vacancies, but both statements focus on public concerns and political participation, as described by the Congress leader.