Uday Umesh Lalit, J. - (1.) Leave granted.
(2.) These appeals are directed against common judgment and order dated 31.10.2017 passed by the High Court of Judicature at Patna in Civil Writ Jurisdiction Case No.21199 of 2013 and all connected matters.
(3.) In 1981, all non-Government Secondary Schools were nationalized and the management was taken over by State of Bihar. Consequently, all teaching and non-teaching staff were given salaries and emoluments at the Government scales. With the schemes like Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, introduction of Article 21A in the Constitution and coming into force of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsion Education Act, 2009 ('RTE Act', for short), the State was required to induct large number of teachers in order to meet the required obligations. These teachers employed at Panchayat, Nagar Panchayat and Municipal levels were not given same salaries and emoluments like the teachers who were paid at the Government scales. The petitions seeking same salaries and emoluments on the principle of "equal pay for equal work" filed by the latter category of teachers, were allowed by the High Court. The view taken by the High Court is presently under challenge at the instance of the State.;