Court highlighted the obligation of public authorities to ensure pay equity among teachers, ordering reconsideration of pay structure for Principals in light of comparable roles and existing incentives for others.

JUDGMENT :

(MRIDUL KUMAR KALITA, J.)

1. Heard Mr. A. R. Malhotra, the learned counsel for the petitioners. Also heard Ms. Vanneihsiami, the learned Government Counsel representing the State respondent.

2. This writ petition has been filed by 18 numbers of the petitioners under Article 226 of Constitution of India, praying for the issuance of a writ in the nature of mandamus and/or any other appropriate directions or orders.

3. The petitioners are aggrieved by the minutes of meeting held under the chairmanship of the State Respondent No. 4 on 25.05.2022, whereby the claim of the petitioners for grant of 3-Tier Grade Pay, similar to that of Headmasters of Middle School and High School was rejected.

4. All the petitioners are working as the Principals of various Government Higher Secondary Schools promoted on different dates in the Higher Secondary Schools as shown in the Table herein below:

5. The claim of the petitioners is that the respondent No. 4 on 14.12.2015 had issued a notification bearing Memo No. G.11013/2011-FIN (PRU) dated 25.01.2016, whereby the 3-Tier Grade Pay was introduced in respect of the Headmasters of High School and Middle School under the School Education Department. The three different grades were Entry Grade, Senior Grade and Selection Grade.

6. Thereafter, on 03.09.2018, the Government Higher Secondary Schools Principal Committee had submitted a representation to the respondent No. 4 requesting grant of 3-Tier Grade Pay in respect of the Principals, Government Higher Secondary Schools similar to that granted to Headmasters of Middle Schools and High Schools on the ground that the duties and responsibilities of the Principals of the Government Higher Secondary Schools and that of Headmasters of Middle Schools and High Schools are similar.

7. As no response was received from the respondents in respect of the aforesaid representation, the Government Higher Secondary Schools Principal Council again submitted a representation on 06.05.2022 reiterating the demand which was made in the earlier representation dated 03.09.2018.

8. However, in the meeting held on 25.05.2022, the respondent No. 4 dismissed the representation dated 06.05.2022 filed by the Government Higher Secondary Schools Principal Council on the ground that the Middle School Headmasters were granted 3-Tier Grade Pay system to remove some administrative anomalies like the entry scale salary of a Middle School Headmaster was lower than Selection Grade Teacher which caused some administrative inconvenience. Such anomalies are not