Teachers completing training are entitled to trained pay-scale benefits from their training-completion dates, subject to verification.

The 17 petitioners were appointed as untrained Panchayat/Prakhand/Nagar Teachers between 2013 and 2016 by the competent authorities and joined their respective schools.

They were subsequently admitted to teacher-training programmes and completed their training on different dates. However, the examination was conducted approximately two and a half years after completion of training, along with a junior batch, and the result was declared on 19 January 2019.

The petitioners sought trained pay-scale benefits from the respective dates of completion of their training, relying on the judgments in CWJC No. 16165 of 2019 and CWJC No. 7938 of 2020, which had been affirmed in appeal and thereafter by the Supreme Court.

They also relied upon Letter No. 1687 dated 21 May 2026, by which the Director, Primary Education had extended similar benefits to the petitioners in the earlier proceedings.

The State contended that the claims of all 17 petitioners required individual examination.

1. Whether the petitioners are entitled to consideration for trained pay-scale benefits from the dates of completion of their respective training programmes, notwithstanding the subsequent delay in conducting the examination and declaring the results.

2. Whether the petitioners’ claims should be examined and decided individually by the Director, Primary Education in light of the earlier judgments affirming entitlement to such benefits.

The Court applied the principle that similarly situated teachers are entitled to receive the trained pay scale from the date of completion of the requisite training where the issue has already been judicially determined in their favour.

It relied upon the judgment in CWJC No. 7938 of 2020, affirmed by the Division Bench in LPA No. 456 of 2021, and the subsequent rejection of the State’s challenge by the Supreme Court in SLP (Civil) Diary No(s). 66035 of 2025.

The Court also took note of the precedent in CWJC No. 16165 of 2019 and the administrative implementation of the same principle through Letter No. 1687 dated 21 May 2026 issued by the Director, Primary Education.

The Court found that the legal question concerning grant of trained pay-scale benefits upon completion of training had already been concluded by the earlier judgment in CWJC No. 7938 of 2020 and affirmed through the appellate and Supreme Court proceedings.

Although the State correctly submitted that the claims of 17 petitioners required individual scrutiny, that procedural requirement did not justify rejecting or withholding consideration of their claims.

Accordingly, the Court directed the petitioners to submit separate applications to the Director, Primary Education, who was required to assess each claim in the light of the binding precedents and the applicable facts of the individual petitioner.

Each petitioner was directed to approach the Director, Primary Education by filing a separate application.

The Director was directed to consider and dispose of the applications in accordance with the judgments referred to above, preferably within 12 weeks from the date of receipt or production of a copy of the order.

If a petitioner’s claim was found to be identical to that of the petitioners who had succeeded in the earlier proceedings, the same relief was to be granted within the stipulated period.