Chandigarh: Following legal scrutiny, expert consultations and a policy review, the Punjab School Education Department has decided against altering the qualification criteria for the recruitment of Physical Training Instructors (PTIs), concluding that the Diploma in Physical Education (DPEd), formerly known as the Certificate in Physical Education (CPEd), remains the most appropriate and legally sustainable qualification for teaching physical education to students in primary classes.According to a speaking order issued by the Directorate of School Education (Elementary), Punjab, the qualification criteria prescribed under the Punjab State Elementary Education (Physical Training Instructor) Service Rules, 2023, as amended from time to time, will continue to remain in force. The department has also decided that no amendment is required to the Punjab State Elementary Education (Physical Training Instructor) Service (First Amendment) Rules, 2025.The order states that the review stemmed from the recruitment process for 2,000 PTI posts for Classes I to V, advertised on July 18, 2025. The prescribed eligibility criteria were subsequently challenged before the Punjab and Haryana high court through separate petitions.During the proceedings, the state govt withdrew the recruitment advertisement and informed the High Court that it had constituted a review committee to examine the validity and appropriateness of the prescribed qualifications in light of statutory provisions, judicial pronouncements and the applicable regulatory framework. Following this submission, the High Court disposed of the petitions.The review committee examined the provisions of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009, the applicable National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) regulations and relevant judicial pronouncements, including the Full Bench judgement of the Punjab and Haryana High Court and the Supreme Court’s judgement in Devesh Sharma vs Union of India and Others.The matter was also referred to the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT), Punjab, which constituted a committee of subject experts to assess the suitability of qualifications for teaching physical education at the primary level.According to the order, the expert committee undertook a comparative assessment of curriculum, pedagogical intent, developmental appropriateness and statutory requirements. It concluded that while the Bachelor of Physical Education (BPEd) and Master of Physical Education (MPEd) are higher qualifications in the same discipline, they are not equivalent to DPEd/CPEd for imparting physical education to primary school students. The committee further held that DPEd/CPEd is the most “appropriate, suitable and exclusive” qualification for teaching Classes I to V.Based on the expert report, the review committee also sought the opinion of the Advocate General, Punjab, on whether the principles laid down by the Supreme Court in the Devesh Sharma judgement could be applied to physical education and whether the state could lawfully prescribe DPEd/CPEd as the exclusive professional qualification for PTI (Primary) posts. It also sought clarification on the continuing applicability of the Full Bench judgement of the Punjab and Haryana High Court in view of subsequent statutory and pedagogical developments.According to the order, the Advocate General’s office opined that the state could legally prescribe DPEd/CPEd as the exclusive professional qualification for PTI (Primary) posts for Classes I to V, provided the prescription conformed to NCTE norms and the applicable service rules. It further stated that such a classification, based on pedagogical suitability and learner-stage orientation, would not violate Articles 14 and 16 of the Constitution.After considering the academic opinion of SCERT and the legal opinion of the Advocate General’s office, the review committee concluded that prescribing DPEd/CPEd as the exclusive qualification for PTI (Primary) posts was legally sustainable, pedagogically appropriate and consistent to ensure quality elementary education.Consequently, the Directorate of School Education (Elementary) decided to retain the existing qualification criteria and held that no amendment to the Punjab State Elementary Education (Physical Training Instructor) Service (First Amendment) Rules, 2025, was necessary.
