The Odisha government has approved the engagement of 6,387 retired teachers as guest instructors in government, aided, block-grant high schools and Sanskrit TOLs (Traditional Oriental Learning institutions) for the 2025-26 academic year. These teachers will serve until March 2026 or until new permanent Trained Graduate Teachers (TGTs) are appointed, whichever comes earlier. The appointments will be made by District Education Officers (DEOs) strictly on a vacancy basis, with the approval of district Collectors, following guidelines issued in 2016 and 2018. If a guest teacher is displaced due to the appointment of a permanent TGT, they may be reassigned to another school with vacancies, ensuring continuity. For Sanskrit TOLs, only retired teachers with IACT or Matric-CT qualifications will be eligible. While the government views this as an interim measure to prevent disruption in teaching, parent bodies such as the Odisha Abhibhabak Mahasangha have raised concerns, stating that re-engaging retired teachers cannot be a long-term solution and urging the government to expedite the recruitment of permanent staff to ensure quality and stability in education.