No funds from the Centre? Pay teachers anyway: Supreme Court’s message to states

The Supreme Court has told states they cannot cite delays in central funding to underpay or withhold honorarium for RTE-linked instructors. Invoking Section 7(5) of the RTE Act, the court said the state must pay first and recover later. Uttar Pradesh has been directed to pay Rs 17,000 per month from 2017–18, begin payments from April 1, 2026, and clear arrears within six months.