UPESSC rejects quota claims in recruitment of over 17,000 teachers

In short

The UPESSC on October 28, 2026, dismissed social media claims of reservation irregularities in the recruitment of over 17,000 assistant teachers.
Commission chairman Prashant Kumar stated that reservation was implemented transparently and according to government rules, treating each school as a separate unit.
The recruitment includes 17,735 Trained Graduate Teacher (TGT) posts, 1,172 headmaster posts, and 1,475 principal posts in aided secondary schools.
Social media claims alleged incorrect reservation percentages, specifically 16.25% for EWS instead of 10% and 25.02% for OBC instead of 27%.
Candidates are advised to rely solely on the Commission's official website, upessc.up.gov.in, for accurate information.

The Uttar Pradesh Education Service Selection Commission (UPESSC) on October 28, 2026, dismissed social media claims regarding the reservation policy in the recruitment of over 17,000 assistant teachers as baseless. The Commission stated that the reservation policy has been implemented transparently and in strict accordance with government rules and prescribed procedures for posts in aided secondary schools across Uttar Pradesh.

Official notification screenshot — Screenshot of the official page at www.upessc.up.gov.in

This dismissal comes amidst allegations of irregularities in reservation percentages, particularly concerning Other Backward Classes (OBC) and Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) categories. The UPESSC urged candidates to rely only on its official website for authorized information, attributing the misinformation to ‘undesirable elements and organisations’ spreading confusion on social media platforms.

Reservation Policy and Implementation

UPESSC chairman Prashant Kumar clarified that the reservation policy for the advertised posts has been implemented by treating each aided secondary school as a separate unit. This means that reservation is calculated individually for each school based on its sanctioned posts and applicable rules, rather than on the combined number of vacancies across the state or at the Directorate level. The Madhyamik Shiksha Nideshalaya compiled vacancy details by school, subject, and category, with the management of each school acting as the appointing authority.

Kumar stated, “The recruitment is being conducted on the basis of school-wise vacancies. Reservation has been implemented by treating each school as a separate unit. This means that a vacant post in a school has been advertised under the category to which it belongs. Appointments will also be made according to the category of the vacant post in the respective school.” He added that previous recruitments, including Advertisement Nos. 01/2022 and 02/2022, followed the same rules. The Uttar Pradesh Education Service Selection Commission Act, 2023, was notified on August 21, 2023, and the Uttar Pradesh Education Service Selection Commission Rules, 2023, were published on December 13, 2023.

Details of Advertised Posts and Social Media Claims

The UPESSC issued three recruitment advertisements on October 23, 2026, for teachers and principals in aided secondary schools. These advertisements cover 17,735 Trained Graduate Teacher (TGT) posts, 1,172 headmaster posts in high schools, and 1,475 principal posts in intermediate-level schools. Social media claims alleged discrepancies in reservation percentages, specifically stating 16.25% for EWS instead of 10% and 25.02% for OBC instead of 27%.

The controversy stems from social media posts that calculated reservation by combining all 17,735 TGT posts, which led to discrepancies when compared to the school-wise unit calculation method followed by the Commission. The state government also clarified its position through its official social media handle, ‘E-Gyan Ganga-UP’.

TGT Post Allocation by Category (Advertised vs. Social Media Claims)
Category	Advertised Posts	Advertised Percentage	Social Media Claimed Posts	Social Media Claimed Percentage
Unreserved	6,704	37.80%	NA	NA
Scheduled Castes (SC)	3,698	20.85%	3,725	21%
Scheduled Tribes (ST)	13	0.07%	355	2%
Other Backward Classes (OBC)	4,438	25.02%	4,789	27%
Economically Weaker Sections (EWS)	2,882	16.25%	1,773	10%

According to the advertised figures for TGT posts, 6,704 posts (37.80%) are for the unreserved category, 3,698 posts (20.85%) for Scheduled Castes (SC), 13 posts (0.07%) for Scheduled Tribes (ST), 4,438 posts (25.02%) for Other Backward Classes (OBC), and 2,882 posts (16.25%) for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS).

Background and Candidate Advisory

The Allahabad High Court previously refused to extend EWS reservation benefits for the 69,000 assistant teacher recruitment in 2020 because the process began before the EWS Act, 2020, was enacted. This historical context underscores the sensitivity surrounding reservation policies in teacher recruitments in Uttar Pradesh.

The UPESSC has reiterated that candidates should only refer to its official website, upessc.up.gov.in, for all authorized information regarding the recruitment process. This advisory aims to prevent confusion and ensure that applicants receive accurate details directly from the Commission, avoiding reliance on unverified social media claims.

Written by Nishit Kumar

Nishit Kumar is a senior EdTech industry leader with over a decade of experience in building and scaling education platforms, shaping their product, content, and growth strategy. At FindMyCollege, Nishit oversees content and editorial strategy, guiding topic selection and content frameworks to ensure accuracy, relevance, and student-first value across the website.

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