Twenty government school teachers in Jalandhar district, recruited under the 4161 master cadre, have been served show‑cause notices, proposing termination of their services after the Punjab School Education Department recast merit list issued in May 2023 following court proceedings.
According to official records, the affected teachers include eight of mathematics, five Punjabi, five social science and two science teachers posted in schools across the district.
The notices were issued after the Directorate of School Education (Secondary), Punjab, ordered the district authorities to serve notices on employees, who had allegedly fallen outside the “selection zone” following the recasting of merit lists for various subjects under the 4161 master cadre recruitment.
In a communication dated May 6, the directorate informed district education authorities that some currently serving teachers were found to be below the revised cut‑off marks and were proposed to be removed from service.
Subsequently, the District Education Officer (Secondary), Jalandhar, on May 7 instructed school heads to immediately serve show‑cause notices on the affected teachers. The department also directed that the probation period of these teachers should not be cleared while the notices remain pending and that compliance reports be submitted.
The affected teachers have been given 21 days to submit replies or clarifications before any final decision is taken. The notices state that if no response is received within the stipulated period, the department may proceed further on the basis of available records.
The development has triggered strong opposition from teacher unions, including the Democratic Teachers Front (DTF), 6635 ETT Teachers Union and 4161 Master Cadre Union, which termed the move unjust and demanded immediate withdrawal of the notices.
Kulwinder Singh, district president of the Democratic Teachers Front, said," The teachers were recruited through a government-approved process and have been serving in schools for years. They said employees should not be forced to suffer because of administrative revisions and prolonged legal disputes arising after recruitment."
The teacher unions have also protested outside the Punjab School Education Department on Friday in Chandigarh, warning that the issue has created panic among 300 teachers across the state who now fear losing their jobs years after appointment.