The commission asks the Education Department to stop the action of declaring ‘surplus’ of Urdu teachers in Madhubani and verify student numbers and sanctioned posts
MADHUBANI — The Bihar State Minorities Commission has stepped in over the decision to declare Urdu teachers as ‘surplus’ during the teacher transfer and rationalisation process in Madhubani, directing the Education Department to stop the ongoing process and conduct a fresh review.
The commission has expressed concern that the decision could harm students studying Urdu and affect the position of Urdu, which is recognised as the second official language of Bihar. It has asked the department to physically verify the actual number of students enrolled for Urdu classes and the sanctioned posts before taking any further action.
In its letter to the Education Department, the commission said that removing Urdu teacher posts or transferring teachers from schools where students require Urdu education could create difficulties for students and affect the quality of teaching.
The commission argued that Urdu teachers should not be declared ‘surplus’ only on the basis of general teacher numbers. It said subject-wise requirements and the educational needs of students must be considered before making decisions.
The issue arose during the teacher transfer and rationalisation process in Madhubani, where some Urdu teachers were reportedly marked as surplus. The move has led to concern among teachers, social workers and members of minority organisations, who have demanded a review of the decision.
Advocate Mahtab Alam, a member of the ‘Opharak’ Committee, has written to the Bihar Chief Minister, the Education Department and the State Minorities Commission, seeking reconsideration of the criteria being used for teacher transfers.
He said that separate sanctioned posts exist for different subjects, and teachers of one subject should not be declared surplus by looking only at the total number of teachers in a school.
“Every subject has its own sanctioned posts and requirements. Urdu teachers cannot be declared surplus simply by counting the total number of teachers. The actual need of students must be taken into account,” Mahtab Alam said.
Amanullah Khan, Convener of ‘Gandhi Sena’ and Deputy Mayor of the Municipal Corporation, has also raised objections to the decision. He demanded that separate sanctioned posts for language subjects should remain unchanged.
He alleged that showing the number of Urdu students as zero in official records was unfair and could affect the rights of students who want to study Urdu.
“There appears to be an attempt to ignore the educational rights of students studying Urdu. Such a move will not be accepted. Language subjects cannot be treated only through numbers written in official records,” Amanullah Khan said.
Teacher organisations and social representatives have also demanded transparency in the transfer process. They have asked the department to clearly display vacancies on the transfer portal and consider subject-wise requirements instead of using only numerical calculations.
They said that Urdu education should not suffer because of administrative decisions and that students should continue to get teachers according to their educational needs.
The Bihar State Minorities Commission has now asked the Education Department to review the matter carefully and complete physical verification before making any final decision. The Commission’s intervention has brought renewed attention to the concerns of Urdu teachers and students in Madhubani.
