Various teachers’ unions and affected candidates have jointly submitted a memorandum to the Punjab Chief Minister through Deputy Speaker Jai Krishan Singh Rouri, demanding the withdrawal of termination-related show-cause notices issued to 253 teachers recruited under the 4161 Master Cadre recruitment process.
Giving details, state leader Balkar Singh Maghania and Harvinder Kaur said that the recruitment examination for 4161 Master Cadre posts was conducted in August 2022 and the result was declared in December the same year. Appointment letters were issued to selected candidates in January 2023.
However, due to alleged discrepancies in the answer key, the matter reached the Punjab and Haryana High Court. Following court directions, a joint committee of expert professors from Guru Nanak Dev University, Punjabi University and Panjab University reviewed the objections and prepared a revised answer key. Subsequently, a fresh merit list was issued in accordance with the court orders.
The leaders stated that teachers selected through the revised list joined their duties in May 2023 and have been serving in various government schools across Punjab for the past three years. However, on May 6, 2026, the Education Department issued termination-related show-cause notices to nearly 253 teachers, giving them 21 days to respond.
The organisations termed the move unjust, stating that teachers were being made to suffer for departmental errors. They added that many teachers had crossed the age limit or resigned from previous jobs to join the Education Department.
The unions warned that if the government fails to resolve the issue amicably, they would be compelled to launch a large-scale agitation.
