New Delhi: The office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Delhi, has directed all district election officers to ensure that teachers are not deployed full-time for booth-level officer (BLO) duties during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise, reiterating that election-related work should be carried out outside school hours so that academic activities are not disrupted.In a communication issued Thursday to all 13 district election officers, the CEO’s office referred to concerns raised by Directorate of Education (DoE) of Delhi govt and other representations regarding the prolonged absence of teachers from schools due to the full-time deployment orders issued by electoral registration officers (EROs) and assistant electoral registration officers (AEROs).TOI had reported that several Delhi govt schools were facing the problem. In one school in Bhalswa, the entire regular teaching staff had been deputed as BLOs, leaving guest teachers to manage classrooms, while another school near GTB Nagar had been left without a majority of its teachers. The report had highlighted concerns that prolonged deployment was affecting students, especially those preparing for board examinations. Teachers’ associations have also raised the issue, saying the prolonged deployment could particularly affect classes X and XII.The letter stated that it had been brought to the notice of the CEO’s office that the orders issued by EROs and AEROs had resulted in prolonged absence of teachers from schools. Referring to the concerns, the CEO’s office requested that teachers “may be permitted to carry out SIR/BLO-related duties after school hours or in a manner that does not require their full-time disengagement from schools”.The communication also reminded officials of Election Commission of India’s (ECI) instructions governing the deployment of BLOs. It cited the ECI instructions dated Oct 4, 2022; June 5, 2025; and June 19, 2026; which stipulate that BLOs should perform election-related work during holidays, non-teaching hours, after office hours and other non-teaching days to ensure that there is no loss of academic work.Directing all district election authorities to implement ECI’s instructions “in letter and spirit”, the CEO’s office said, “The activities for BLOs should be planned in such a way that it doesn’t affect the working of their parent department.” The communication noted that the directions were issued with the prior approval of the CEO, Delhi.The issue has also reached Delhi High Court through a public interest litigation. While no official govt figure has been released, teachers’ associations estimate that around 8,000 govt school teachers have been deployed for SIR duties in the city. Officials admit that of the total 13,000 BLOs, a majority are teachers from govt schools.
