New pay scale for 1.78 lakh teachers to be hired through BPSC finalised

Though the pay scale is significantly higher than what over 3.5 lakh teachers appointed through the panchayatI raj institutions (PRIs) and urban local bodies (ULBs) since 2006 are currently getting, it is lower than the old prescribed pay scale for teachers, under which around 60,000 still remain in service.

The Bihar government has finalised the pay scale for the new lot of 1.78 lakh teachers to be appointed through the Bihar Public Service Commision (BPSC), which will likely go to the cabinet for approval on Tuesday, officials familiar with the matter said.

Bihar Public Service Commission office in Patna. (HT archive)

Though the pay scale is significantly higher than what over 3.5 lakh teachers appointed through the panchayatI raj institutions (PRIs) and urban local bodies (ULBs) since 2006 are currently getting, it is lower than the old prescribed pay scale for teachers, under which around 60,000 still remain in service. The government had taken a policy decision to make it a dying cadre after it started appointment through PRIs and ULBs, officials said.

Under the new recruitment process, primary teachers (class 1-5) will have a basic salary of ₹25,000 while the gross salary with dearness allowance, house rent and medical allowances will come to around ₹38,000.

For middle school (class 6-8) teachers, the basic salary will be ₹28000 and the gross ₹42,000.

For teachers appointed in secondary schools (class 9-10), the basic salary would be ₹31,000 and the gross ₹46,000.

Higher secondary (class 11-12) teachers will get a basic salary of ₹32,000 and a gross salary of ₹48,000.

The appointment of 1.78 lakh teachers will cost the state exchequer ₹10,623 crore. For the existing list of teachers appointed through the BPSC, there will be an option to take the uniform exam for an upgrade to get the status of government employees.

With the Nitish Kumar cabinet giving its nod to the new teachers’ recruitment rules in early April, decks were cleared for the long-pending recruitment of teachers in Bihar.

After the cabinet nod to the pay scale, the government will advertise the posts. The number of vacancies identified include 85,477 in primary schools, 1,745 in middle schools, 33,186 in secondary schools and 57,618 in higher secondary schools.

Appointing teachers through BPSC is a major policy shift of the Nitish Kumar government, which was stuck with the appointments through PRIs and ULBs all through since 2006, despite concerns expressed over quality and controversies surrounding the alleged doctoring of documents landing in the Patna High Court. A vigilance probe has been going on under HC watch for the last seven years.