Bihar wants teachers appointed on the basis of 18-month NIOS D.El.Ed qualification terminated, issues order

The Bihar Education Department has instructed District Education Officers (DEOs) across the state to begin the process of terminating teachers appointed under Advertisement No. 22/2024 (TRE-3) if they were recruited on the basis of the 18-month Diploma in Elementary Education (D.El.Ed) awarded by the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS). According to a Times Now report, the department has reiterated that this qualification is not recognised for appointments to primary school teacher posts in Bihar.

The direction has been issued by the Directorate of Primary Education through an official communication signed by Vikram Virkar, IAS, Director of Primary Education. The order instructs district authorities to take action against such appointments after following the prescribed legal and administrative procedures.

The Education Department said the move is in line with the eligibility conditions mentioned in the TRE-3 recruitment notification and has asked officials to ensure that the directive is implemented without delay.

Earlier notification cited by department

According to the Times Now report, the department has referred to Clause 2(B)(iv) of Advertisement No. 22/2024 (TRE-3), which had already made it clear that the 18-month NIOS D.El.Ed would not be accepted as a valid qualification for the recruitment of primary school teachers.

The clause was based on an Education Department letter issued on December 7, 2023, which declared the qualification ineligible for teacher recruitment. The latest order reiterates that appointments made despite this provision must now be reviewed and appropriate action taken.

District officials told to act

The Directorate has directed all DEOs to complete the termination process as per the prescribed rules and submit a compliance report to the Education Department immediately after the action is taken.

Copies of the order have also been sent to all Regional Deputy Directors of Education, who have been asked to oversee its implementation and ensure that the instructions are followed uniformly across the state, the Times Now report said.

The directive is expected to impact teachers appointed through the TRE-3 recruitment process who relied on the 18-month NIOS D.El.Ed qualification to secure their jobs. The department has once again maintained that the qualification does not meet the eligibility criteria for appointment as a primary school teacher in Bihar.