Delhi Assembly Speaker Shri Vijender Gupta Writes to Hon'ble LG V.K. Saxena on Gender Discrimination in Teachers’ Promotions Shri Vijender Gupta Seeks Hon'ble LG’s Intervention Over Gender Bias in DoE Seniority Lists “The Constitution guarantees equal opportunity to all, and government policies must uphold that guarantee without exception"– Shri Gupta New Delhi, 29 January 2026 The Speaker of the Delhi Legislative Assembly, Shri Vijender Gupta, has written a letter to the Hon’ble Lieutenant Governor of Delhi, Shri Vinay Kumar Saxena, drawing urgent attention to serious allegations of gender-based discrimination in seniority and promotion policies within the Directorate of Education (DoE), Government of NCT of Delhi. In his letter, Shri Vijender Gupta has forwarded a representation received from the UDITA (Unified Development Initiative of Teachers and Administrators) – a Society for Welfare of Teachers.The issue concerns the promotion system for teachers in the Delhi Government’s Directorate of Education, where separate seniority lists are being maintained for male and female teachers. Because of this gender-based system, women teachers, despite being higher in overall experience and numbers are often made to wait many years for promotion, while male teachers are promoted faster. As a result, several female teachers stagnate in the same post and even retire without getting the promotions they deserve. Although the matter is pending before the Hon’ble High Court and the department had earlier indicated that these separate lists would be merged, promotions are still being carried out under the old gender-specific system. This has led to allegations that the process unfairly disadvantages women and violates the principle of equal opportunity in public employment. Shri Vijender Gupta has requested the Hon’ble Lieutenant Governor to kindly intervene in the matter and issue necessary directions to the Directorate of Education to eliminate gender-based discrimination and to take immediate steps for consolidation of seniority lists, ensuring that all promotions are carried out equally, rightfully, and in the true spirit of constitutional justice. The Delhi Assembly Speaker has also recalled that his office had advised the concerned department to re-examine the issue in consultation with the Government’s Standing Counsel and all stakeholders, with a view to initiating the merger of gender-based seniority lists without any distinction between male and female candidates. However, continued promotions under the old system risk further deepening gender imbalance and administrative injustice. Emphasising the constitutional spirit of equality, the matter raises a larger concern about the need to ensure gender equality, equal opportunity, and fairness in public employment. The Constitution of India guarantees equal rights to all citizens, and any policy or practice that discriminates on the basis of gender stands contrary to these fundamental principles. The promotion processes must be transparent, uniform, and based solely on merit and seniority, without artificial divisions that disadvantage any group. A fair and lawful system not only strengthens institutional integrity but also reinforces trust among employees, particularly women professionals who have long faced systemic barriers.