Plea for welfare, social security of private school teachers in Supreme Court

The Supreme Court has agreed to hear a plea for a national welfare framework for private school teachers. The petition highlights a policy vacuum on pensions, social security and post-retirement protection.बनभूलपुरा में रेलवे की जमीन को लेकर लंबे समय से विवाद चल रहा है. (File photo: ITG)The Supreme Court on Thursday agreed to hear a plea seeking a national policy and statutory framework for the welfare, social security and post-retirement protection of private school teachers across India.A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta issued notice to the Centre, all states and Union Territories, the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) and others, seeking their responses. The matter has been listed after four weeks.PLEA SEEKS NATIONAL WELFARE FRAMEWORKThe petition, filed by Kerala-based Ligimol George through advocate Deepak Prakash, has sought directions to the Centre to create a comprehensive framework for private school teachers.It also sought consideration of a national private school teachers’ welfare board or another institutional mechanism to coordinate and monitor welfare measures. The proposed measures include pension benefits, provident fund and gratuity compliance, along with an effective grievance redressal system.37.3 LAKH PRIVATE SCHOOL TEACHERSCiting Ministry of Education data from UDISE+ 2023-24, the plea said India has around 14.72 lakh schools, more than 98 lakh teachers and nearly 24.8 crore students. It said 37,30,047 teachers work in recognised private unaided schools, making them a significant part of the country’s teaching workforce.The petition argued that there is no dedicated national statutory mechanism covering their welfare and post-retirement social security.PLEA FLAGS LEGAL GAPSThe petitioner said the existing framework is fragmented and depends on state laws, institutional practices and contractual arrangements. As a result, teachers doing similar work may receive different welfare and retirement benefits.The plea said many private school teachers retire without adequate pension, medical assistance or other social security.It clarified that the case does not seek to interfere with the administration of private schools or decide individual service disputes. Instead, it seeks a uniform national policy to address what it calls a long-standing gap in the welfare and social security of private school teachers.(With PTI inputs)- EndsPublished By: India Today Web Desk Published On: Sep 10, 2026 18:40 IST