Teachers Can’t Be Paid in Mere Gratitude: Supreme Court Slams U.P. for Treating Contractual Instructors as Disposable Labour

“Fixed Pay is Not a Life Sentence”, In a decision that elevates both the dignity of teaching and the constitutional rights of the working class, the Supreme Court of India on February 4, 2026, delivered a stinging indictment of the State of Uttar Pradesh’s treatment of part-time instructors in Upper Primary Schools. The Court ruled that the fixed honorarium of ₹7,000, which remained unchanged since 2013 for instructors hired under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (later merged into Samagra Shiksha Scheme), amounts to forced labour, and directed the State to immediately pay an enhanced honorarium of ₹17,000 per month with arrears.

“No human being, much less a teacher, should be compelled to serve the State on a pittance under the illusion of contract. That is economic coercion. That is begar. That is unconstitutional,” observed Justice Pankaj Mithal, authoring the judgment.

The Supreme Court held that the prolonged payment of stagnant wages, coupled with a complete ban on alternate employment, violates Article 23 of the Constitution, which prohibits all forms of forced labour, including those disguised as voluntary contractual arrangements.

“Once Contract Ends, Labels Die”: Teachers Working for 10 Years Deemed to Hold Substantive Posts

The Court decisively rejected the classification of the instructors as “part-time contractual”, terming it a “deceptive label” with no legal basis after the expiry of the original 11-month contracts.

“When teachers are employed continuously for over a decade, against recurring and permanent duties, they are not ad hoc or part-time anymore — they are de facto full-time teachers against deemed substantive posts,” the Court declared.

It was noted that the instructors were selected through formal recruitment and met all National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) standards. Though described as part-time, their contracts prohibited them from taking up any other employment, making them full-time in effect. Their duties — teaching up to 8 periods a day, handling co-curricular responsibilities, and administrative tasks — were indistinguishable from those of regular teachers.

“They were asked to work full time, but paid part time. This is not employment — it is exploitation,” remarked the Bench.

“PAB's Word is Final”: Court Rules State Cannot Override Financial Approvals for Teacher Pay

The judgment also addresses the critical issue of financial control within the Samagra Shiksha Scheme. The Court held that only the Project Approval Board (PAB) at the national level has the authority to sanction budgets and fix honorarium, not the State Government or any Executive Committee.

“Once PAB approved ₹17,000 as the honorarium in 2017–18, the State’s refusal to implement it was not only illegal — it was a betrayal of both administrative discipline and constitutional responsibility,” the Court said.

Despite a clear letter from the Additional Chief Secretary (Basic Education) accepting the PAB’s approval, the State failed to implement it and instead lowered the payment back to ₹7,000 from 2019–20 onwards — an act the Court found “arbitrary, unjustified and wholly unconstitutional”.

“Constitutional Mandate Cannot Be Subject to Budgetary Apathy”: Court Imposes 'Pay and Recover' Principle

Anticipating the State’s standard defence of inadequate central funds, the Court invoked Section 7(5) of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009, to impose a 'pay first, recover later' approach.

“The State Government cannot deny rightful wages on the excuse that the Centre hasn’t paid its share. The Constitution does not wait for budgets. Pay the teachers now. Recover later if needed,” ruled the Bench.

The Court made it abundantly clear that the responsibility to implement the Act, including paying instructors, rests primarily on the State, and it cannot shirk its obligation by blaming fund delays or policy disputes.

“A Teacher is a Nation Builder, Not a Bonded Labourer”: Court Highlights Moral and Legal Duty to Protect Educators

In one of the most stirring parts of the judgment, the Court reminded both State authorities and society at large of the elevated stature teachers hold in Indian culture and constitutional philosophy.

“In India, a teacher is revered even above God. Yet, these instructors — who shape the character of future generations — are being treated as financial afterthoughts. This is unacceptable in a civilised nation,” the Court said, quoting Kabir’s couplet:

“Guru Govind dou khade, kaake laagu paay?
Balihari Guru aapne, Govind diyo bataay”

Justice Mithal underlined that nation-building begins with character-building, and primary school instructors form the moral and intellectual foundation of future citizens. The Court lamented that despite their critical role, instructors had been made victims of prolonged stagnation, false promises and structural neglect.

Judgment Declares Instructors Entitled to ₹17,000 per Month Since 2017

Answering the central question framed in para 14 of the judgment, the Court held:

“Part-time contractual instructors in Upper Primary Schools are entitled to revision of their honorarium beyond the initial ₹7,000 fixed in 2013, and must be paid ₹17,000 per month with effect from 2017–18 — the rate approved by PAB and accepted by the State.”

The Court directed that:

• Honorarium of ₹17,000 per month shall commence from April 1, 2026;
• Arrears from 2017–18 till March 2026 shall be paid within six months;
• The State may recover the Central Government’s share later, without delaying payment.

The State’s appeals were dismissed in their entirety. The appeals filed by the Welfare Association and instructors were allowed with full effect.

"No Honorarium Can Truly Repay a Teacher's Contribution, But It Must At Least Respect Their Humanity"

The Supreme Court’s verdict is a watershed moment not only for the overburdened and underpaid cadre of instructors across Uttar Pradesh but for the entire education system. It categorically holds that wage stagnation is not merely a financial failure — it is a constitutional one, especially when imposed on those entrusted with shaping young minds.

“Fixed pay cannot become a life sentence. When the State asks for full-time work, it must offer full dignity, not contractual crumbs. Teachers build the Republic — they cannot be paid in mere gratitude.”

Date of Decision: February 4, 2026