Bill inserts new Section 12A to set school teacher qualifications

It aims to allow the Council to set uniform minimum qualifications for teachers in schools across the country.

Who it concerns: The law affects institutions, students and teachers of those institutions, schools (pre-primary to senior secondary), colleges (senior secondary or intermediate), and teachers working in these schools and colleges.

What the bill does

• Inserts new Section 12A allowing the Council to determine minimum qualifications for teachers in pre-primary, primary, upper primary, secondary, senior secondary, and intermediate schools or colleges.
• Specifies that the Act applies to schools and colleges established, run, aided, or recognized by the Central Government, State Government, or local authorities.
• Includes a provision ensuring that existing teachers recruited before the Act's commencement are not adversely affected solely due to non-fulfilment of the new qualifications.
• Amends Section 32 to explicitly list teacher qualifications under the new Section 12A as a matter for which the Council may make regulations.

Also in the document

• The Statement of Objects and Reasons cites a Supreme Court judgment (Basic Education Board, U.P. vs Upendra Rai) which held that the original 1993 Act did not cover ordinary educational institutions like primary schools.
• The Bill is intended to address the redundancy of previous Council regulations regarding school teacher qualifications resulting from that court judgment.