Seventeen years is a long time to be stuck in administrative limbo. Yet, this is the unfortunate reality for Physical Education Lecturers (PELs), who were promoted as Gazetted Officers in 2008 but remain unregularised and are denied pay parity with their peers in the School Education Department. Despite multiple legal victories, including a CAT and a High Court directive, the promises of justice remain unfulfilled. The delay, as highlighted by the aggrieved PELs, stems largely from the Department of Youth Services and Sports’ persistent failure to formulate and implement its own service rules. This systemic oversight, lingering since the department’s reorganisation in 2006, has not only undermined the professional dignity of PELs but has also exposed a glaring administrative void that no Government authority seems willing to address.
Ironically, while Physical Education Masters and Teachers have achieved pay parity with counterparts in other subject streams, PELs remain the only cadre among over 50 school subjects excluded from uniform pay scales. This disparity is particularly egregious given that the SRO 225 of 2005 explicitly grants equal scale-Rs. 9300-34800 plus GP 5400 (revised)-to all lecturers. The argument that this anomaly is the result of a “typing error” is not only untenable but also smacks of bureaucratic negligence and indifference. The situation becomes even more disheartening considering that seniority lists have been prepared and committee reports submitted-some as far back as 2010-yet none of these have led to tangible outcomes. The claims of political interference and favouritism further underscore the deep-rooted dysfunction within the DYSS.
Beyond academics, PELs play a vital role in fostering physical health and sportsmanship in schools. In an era where holistic education is gaining importance, their contributions must not be relegated to the sidelines. It is high time the administration takes definitive action. The Government must prioritise this long-pending issue and launch an inquiry to ascertain responsibility for the delay. Justice delayed for 17 years is justice denied. The Government must act now to regularise their services, ensure pay parity, and restore dignity to a cadre long neglected.
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