Jobs of 13,000 primary teachers selected in 2025 under threat:MP High Court orders fresh merit list; ineligible candidates got 5% bonus marks

The Madhya Pradesh High Court on Wednesday delivered a significant order in the case related to the Primary Teacher Selection Examination-2025 and the granting of 5% bonus marks to candidates. The court has directed the state government and the Employee Selection Board to prepare a fresh merit list. The jobs of more than 13,000 teachers are now considered to be at risk. The hearing took place before a single-judge bench of Justice Vishal Dhagat. The court observed that the appointments of 13,089 selected primary teachers could be affected by its order. The final hearing was completed on Wednesday, after which the judgment was reserved and later pronounced on May 13. The petition in the matter was filed by candidates including Sonam Agariya, a resident of Narsinghpur. The petitioners were represented by advocates Alok Vagarecha and Vishal Baghel. The case was heard on allegations that benefits were granted in violation of rules, affecting the selection process. Bonus marks were given to ineligible candidates The dispute arose from allegations of irregularities in the results of the Primary Teacher Selection Examination-2025 conducted by the Madhya Pradesh Employee Selection Board. It was alleged that a large number of candidates were wrongly awarded 5% bonus marks despite not being eligible. The affected candidates, who were excluded from the selection list, had filed a petition in the Jabalpur High Court on April 8. The petition stated that according to Clause 7.7 of the recruitment advertisement, only those candidates possessing a Special Education Diploma recognized by the Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI) were eligible for the 5% bonus marks. However, nearly 14,964 candidates allegedly declared themselves eligible under this category and obtained the benefit. Questions raised from RCI data The petitioners also presented official RCI data before the court, stating that only 2,194 personnel and 3,077 professionals are registered on the RCI portal across Madhya Pradesh. In such a situation, the claim of nearly 15,000 candidates having special education certificates appeared doubtful. According to the petition, the Directorate of Public Instruction had already alerted the department in January 2026 that around 18,000 candidates had selected “yes” for this category, which was unusually high. Despite this, even after reopening the portal, candidates were not required to submit RCI registration numbers or certificates. Bonus marks given based only on declaration The petitioners further alleged that bonus marks were awarded solely on the basis of self-declaration by candidates through software, without any physical verification. This directly impacted the merit list, resulting in many eligible candidates being left out of selection. The court was also informed that some candidates who had received the benefit of bonus marks later approached the High Court themselves, stating that they had mistakenly selected “yes” despite not possessing the required certificate. However, the High Court rejected their petitions. High Court’s Strict Observation The court observed that allowing candidates to modify their answers or reduce their marks after detection would be unfair to honest candidates and would encourage malpractice. The High Court has directed the state government and the Employee Selection Board to cancel the candidature of ineligible applicants who do not possess RCI-recognised diplomas and to remove them from the selection process. It has further ordered the preparation of a revised merit list. What happens next Following the court order, major changes are expected in the primary teacher recruitment process. After the preparation of the new merit list, several already selected candidates may be removed, while those previously excluded may get an opportunity for appointment.