Agartala, September 12, 2026: The High Court of Tripura has issued a series of significant directions to the state government and the Teachers’ Recruitment Board, Tripura (TRBT), seeking to expedite the filling up of vacant teaching and headmaster posts across government schools.
In an order passed on September 9, 2026, in WP(C)(PIL) No. 04 of 2026, a Division Bench comprising Chief Justice M.S. Ramachandra Rao and Justice Biswajit Palit expressed concern over a large number of vacancies in the School Education Department and directed the authorities to take immediate steps to fill them.
Recruitment for 1,116 PG Teacher Posts Ordered to Begin
The court noted that 1,116 Post Graduate (PG) Teacher posts in various subjects had fallen vacant due to the death, retirement, resignation or termination of services of the incumbents.
The state government informed the court that it had initiated the process for the re-creation of these posts. However, the court questioned why such posts should have to be re-created after becoming vacant.
Observing that a post does not lapse merely because its incumbent dies, retires, resigns or leaves service, the High Court directed that the recruitment process for all 1,116 vacant PG Teacher posts be commenced forthwith.
Court Raises Concern Over Graduate Teacher Vacancies
The court also examined the issue of Graduate Teacher vacancies. According to the order, the Teachers’ Recruitment Board, Tripura had received a requisition on July 5, 2022, for recommending 230 eligible candidates, despite there being 2,193 Graduate Teacher posts that had fallen vacant.
Questioning why only a small number of vacancies were being considered for recruitment, the court observed that the respondents had a responsibility to fill the vacant posts.
The filling up of the 230 posts is linked to a pending Special Leave Petition (SLP) concerning reservation rules. However, the court noted that there was no stay order from the Supreme Court restraining the filling up of the posts.
Considering the requirement of teachers in schools and the advancement of the academic year, the High Court directed the authorities to take a decision on appointing eligible candidates to the Graduate Teacher posts by the next hearing, subject to the outcome of the pending SLP.
TRBT Directed to Complete Recruitment for 700 Posts
The court further noted that the School Education Department had created 700 new Graduate Teacher posts and submitted a requisition to TRBT on August 5, 2025.
TRBT subsequently conducted the selection test on February 14, 2026, but no further progress had been made after the examination.
The High Court has now directed the Chairman of TRBT to complete the process of filling up all 700 posts at the earliest. The board has also been asked to submit an affidavit detailing the steps taken before the next hearing.
Directions to Fill Headmaster and Assistant Headmaster Vacancies
The High Court also took note of vacancies in the posts of Headmasters and Assistant Headmasters.
According to the order, there are:
162 vacant Headmaster posts in Higher Secondary Schools
100 vacant Assistant Headmaster posts
304 vacant Headmaster posts in High Schools
The court directed the respondents to fill all these vacant posts by following the applicable rules and to submit an affidavit on the action taken by the next date of hearing.
The matter has been directed to be listed along with WP(C)(PIL) No. 09 of 2026 on September 21, 2026.
The order is expected to bring renewed attention to the shortage of teachers and school heads in Tripura’s government education system, with the High Court making it clear that prolonged vacancies should not be allowed to affect students and the functioning of schools.
