The Hindu : New Delhi News : High Court directive to civic body, Delhi State Election Commission

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High Court directive to civic body, Delhi State Election Commission

Staff Reporter

Directions to exempt physically-challenged teachers from election duty

NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court has directed the Municipal Corporation of Delhi and the Delhi State Election Commission to exempt differently-abled teachers from poll duty.

A Division Bench of the Court comprising Justices A.P. Shah and S. Muralidhar gave this direction on a petition by the Akhil Dilli Prathmik Shikshak Sangh seeking directions for exempting physically-challenged teachers from poll duty.

Concessions for women

Its other submission is to put women teaching staff on election duty with certain concessions.

The Court had earlier this month directed the Commission and the civic body to consider for exemption from election duty women and differently-abled teaching staff if they approached them with valid reasons for relief.

The petitioner urged the Court to exempt women teaching staff from election duty on week days as it was impossible for them to perform it along with their household and teaching obligations.

Petitioner’s request

It also submitted that physically-challenged and pregnant women staff and teachers above 58 years of age should not be assigned election duty. Women staff should also not be given the field duty.

The petitioner also questioned the rationale of putting only teaching staff on election duty.

Besides, the deployment of teachers on election duty also affected teaching, the petitioner submitted.

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