Odisha Regularises 13,000 Junior Teachers

The Odisha government has regularised the services of more than 13,000 junior teachers appointed under the schematic system during 2023-24, bringing an end to a prolonged wait for formalisation of their jobs.
The School and Mass Education Department issued an order on Thursday, stating that the regularisation will take effect from January 1, 2026. Eligible teachers recruited through the prescribed selection process and still in service will be appointed as Assistant Teachers in Level-V(A) of the elementary cadre, subject to the required conditions.

According to the notification, the period from each teacher’s date of joining until December 31, 2025, will continue to be considered schematic or contractual service. This period will not be counted towards seniority in the regular cadre or other consequential benefits linked to regular service.
From January 1, 2026, the regularised teachers will receive the applicable pay and other service benefits available to Level-V(A) Assistant Teachers under government rules.
The decision follows Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi’s earlier announcement regarding regularisation. Although the government had issued an order on April 2 outlining the process, implementation was delayed, prompting protests from the teachers’ association.

On September 18, thousands of junior teachers gathered at Mahatma Gandhi Marg in Bhubaneswar under the banner of the Odisha Junior Teachers’ Association, seeking immediate regularisation and an end to the contractual appointment system.
The association had maintained that the government had not acted on the Chief Minister’s announcement and the April 2 order. It had also raised concerns over the government’s affidavit in a related case pending before the Odisha High Court.