Summary: Two teachers from Gadchiroli, Maharashtra, won a court case to receive their pension despite not having formal teaching qualifications.
Kaliram Usendi and Baburao Komti Usendi, both in their late 50s, were hired as untrained primary teachers in Gadchiroli district. They worked for many years but were let go in 2020 because they didn’t have the required teaching certificate.
Kaliram and Baburao lost their jobs on May 27, 2020, only because they hadn’t gotten the necessary teaching certificate. Even though there were no complaints about their work, this lack of formal training was the reason for their dismissal.
"Their jobs were terminated only because they did not get the required teaching certificate."
Their request for a pension was first turned down based on the Maharashtra Civil Services (Pension) Rules, 1982. However, they challenged this decision, pointing to a similar case where the court decided that untrained teachers with more than 10 years of service should receive pensions.
The court, with judges M.S. Jawalkar and Raj D. Wakode in charge, decided that since Kaliram and Baburao had worked for over 20 years, they deserved a pension. The court canceled the previous decision to deny their pension applications.
"The Zilla Parishad's refusal to give pension benefits... is completely unjustified."
The court instructed the Chief Executive Officer of Zilla Parishad, Gadchiroli, to give the pension and other benefits to Kaliram and Baburao within four weeks, acknowledging their years of service as valid even without formal training.
The court's decision highlights that for pension eligibility, the length of service is more important than formal qualifications, providing hope for other untrained teachers in similar situations.
