Shimla: The Himachal Pradesh Education Department has issued directions to initiate the recruitment process for 870 Physical Education Teacher (PET) posts across the state. The move comes after a recent decision that cleared the way for recruitment by setting aside earlier orders.

Recruitment Under Job Trainee Scheme

According to orders issued by the Directorate of Education, these posts will be filled under the Job Trainee Scheme. Selected candidates will receive a fixed monthly honorarium of ₹21,500.

All Deputy Directors (Primary) across districts have been instructed to begin the recruitment process with immediate effect.

High Court Clears Way for Recruitment

The matter was linked to the State vs Yog Raj case, in which the High Court delivered its verdict in January 2026. The court set aside the 2022 single bench order and accepted the state government’s appeal, paving the way for recruitment.

Following the verdict, the state government approved filling 870 posts on March 13, 2026. The PET recruitment had been pending for a long time in the state. Officials say the decision will not only boost sports activities in schools but also create significant employment opportunities for youth.

District-Wise Distribution of Posts

As per the released list, Kangra district has the highest number of vacancies. The distribution is as follows:

• Kangra – 189

• Mandi – 158

• Shimla – 106

• Chamba – 83

• Sirmaur – 76

• Una – 73

• Hamirpur – 48

• Kullu – 42

• Solan – 40

• Bilaspur – 25

• Kinnaur – 18

• Lahaul-Spiti – 12

New Recruitment Process and Guidelines

The department has clarified that all previous recruitment advertisements will be withdrawn. A fresh process will be followed, with category-wise requisitions prepared for batch-wise recruitment. Districts have been asked to submit all required data within five days.

Reservation and Roster to Be Followed

The recruitment will be conducted as per Recruitment and Promotion Rules, ensuring adherence to reservation policies and roster systems. Pending backlog vacancies will also be included.

Special provisions have been made for government middle schools with fewer than 100 students, where roster calculations will be handled differently, though existing PETs in such schools will still be counted under the roster.