Explanation:

The High Court of Jammu and Kashmir has quashed the termination order of Rehbar-e-Taleem (ReT) teachers and has directed the Government to consider their case for relaxation of minimum age in their favour.

Additionally, the government has been direted to regularise their services as General Line Teachers from the date they have completed five years as ReTs.

Justice Sanjeev Kumar quashed the order of the government whereby the services of the petitioners as ReTs have been terminated citing that at the time of engagement as the ReTs they were underage.

The court while quashing their termination order directed authorities to consider their cases and pass appropriate order of relaxation of minimum age in their favour and regularize their services under the Scheme from the date they have completed five years satisfactory services as ReTs.

The Rehabar-e-Taleem (ReT) scheme was launched in the year 2000 for meeting requirements of teachers in primary and middle schools in inaccessible and far-flung areas where teachers posted from other places were ordinarily reluctant to join.

It envisaged engagement of teachers from local area and had to be paid remuneration of Rs 1500 per month initially, later revised to Rs 3,000, and had to be regularised after five years of continuous service. Recruitment made under the scheme helped the department to meet the shortage of teachers.