Allahabad High Court: Teachers' Election Duty as Last Resort

The Allahabad High Court emphasized adherence to Election Commission guidelines, ensuring teachers are appointed for election duties only as a last resort. This ruling highlights the necessity of balancing education imperatives and electoral processes, following a petition against a teacher's election duty assignment.

The Allahabad High Court has firmly ruled that teachers should not be appointed as booth level officers or assigned election duties, unless absolutely necessary. Emphasizing adherence to the Election Commission's guidelines on minimal appointment of teachers, the court seeks to protect educators' essential roles in society.

The decision came after a petition from Surya Pratap Singh, a primary school teacher, who challenged his election-related assignments. Justice Ajay Bhanot underscored that the Election Commission guidelines must be respected to balance the Right to Education and the democratic electoral requirements.

The court stressed that teachers should be considered for election duties only after exhausting all other employee categories. It also noted that teachers' free time should not be disrupted unnecessarily, maintaining their crucial societal role.

(With inputs from agencies.)