Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala government on Monday announced that it will take legal steps to extend the exemptions and benefits granted by the Supreme Court to the NSS management for teacher appointments to other aided school managements in the state.

Education Minister V. Sivankutty said the government will inform the court of its position when the case is next considered. The announcement follows a standoff between the state government and church managements over filling vacancies reserved for differently-abled candidates. Currently, the government does not permit appointments from the general category if reserved seats remain unfilled.

Sivankutty noted that while the Supreme Court judgment benefits only the NSS management, the government seeks a general and permanent solution for all aided schools. A high-level meeting chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, involving law and education ministers, the advocate general, and other officials, decided to pursue legal measures to extend the NSS benefits statewide.

“The government aims for a comprehensive solution that protects the rights of differently-abled candidates while considering the concerns of teaching staff and school managements,” Sivankutty said, adding that multiple similar cases are pending in the apex court.

He emphasized the government's commitment to social justice and ensuring that constitutional rights are upheld for weaker sections of society, particularly the differently-abled.

The development comes two days after Sivankutty met Archbishop Thomas Tharayil of the Syro-Malabar Changanassery Archdiocese in Kottayam to discuss a resolution.