Validity of Appointments of 69,649 Bihar Teachers Under Scrutiny Amid Missing Files

Sitamarhi, Bihar: The appointments of nearly 70,000 teachers recruited in Bihar between 2006 and 2015 are now under scrutiny as the monitoring department reports that crucial personnel files are missing. The absence of these records has raised doubts over the legitimacy of their appointments, with authorities stating that the positions of teachers whose files cannot be located cannot be considered valid until verification is complete.

High Court-Ordered Investigation
Following a directive from the Patna High Court, the Bihar Monitoring Department has been conducting a statewide investigation into teacher appointments. Hundreds of fraudulent teachers have already been identified, FIRs filed, and dismissals carried out. However, records for 69,649 teachers are still unavailable, preventing verification of their credentials.

Administrative Instructions
The Director of Primary Education has issued fresh instructions to all District Education Officers (DEOs) and District Program Officers (DPOs) across the state, including Sitamarhi, to submit complete personnel folders of teachers appointed between 2006 and 2015. Each folder should include all academic and professional certificates submitted at the time of recruitment.

So far, out of 69,809 recruited teachers, files for only 160 teachers have been made available to the monitoring department. The director has emphasized the urgency of collecting the remaining folders to ensure verification of appointments.

Legal Implications
The High Court has ruled that any teacher found to have obtained their position fraudulently must either voluntarily resign or face legal action, including FIRs and recovery of salaries paid under the payroll. In Sitamarhi district alone, 62 FIRs have been registered against 96 individuals, 89 of whom are teachers, with 54 already dismissed. Despite this, many teachers continue to serve due to lapses by local authorities. Recent FIRs have been filed against teachers such as Ramvilas Pandit (Bathnaha Middle School), Sunila Sinha (Turkaulia), Ram Pukar Rai (Sirsia), Sunita Kumari, and Rajesh Kumar (Mahuwawa).

This massive administrative challenge highlights the critical need for stringent record-keeping and vigilance to ensure transparency and legality in public sector appointments.