Calcutta High Court Cancels 25,000 Teaching and Non-Teaching Staff Appointments in West Bengal Schools

The Calcutta High Court has cancelled the appointments of nearly 25,000 teaching and non-teaching staff in West Bengal government schools. The court declared the 2016 recruitment process null and void due to manipulation and irregularities in the selection of candidates.

The affected individuals, who were hired as teachers and non-teaching staff through the State Level Selection Test (SLST) 2016, are set to lose their jobs as a result of the court's decision. The High Court directed the West Bengal School Service Commission (SSC) to initiate a fresh recruitment process within 15 days and ordered the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to investigate the appointment process and submit a report within three months.

Why this matters: The cancellation of such a large number of appointments in the education sector has far-reaching consequences for both the affected staff and the students in West Bengal schools. The court's decision highlights the importance of maintaining transparency and fairness in recruitment processes to ensure the quality of education.

The West Bengal government has challenged the High Court's order in the Supreme Court, arguing that the cancellation was done arbitrarily and that it would have a severe impact on the education system. The state government claims that the High Court failed to appreciate the ramifications of cancelling the entire selection process and that the irregularities found were only for 4,327 staff, not the entire 23,123 appointments.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee criticized the High Court's decision, calling it illegal, and stated that her government will challenge the order in the Supreme Court. The ruling has led to protests by those who lost their jobs, while the BJP has alleged corruption in the recruitment process under the Trinamool Congress (TMC) government.

The scam came to light after the CBI arrested former state Education Minister Partha Chatterjee and several SSC officials over their involvement in the illegal teacher recruitment in July 2022. The High Court relied on a report by a committee set up to oversee the probe, which found several irregularities in the 2016 examination and recruitment process.

In its order, the Calcutta High Court stated, "This court is of the view that a strong message needs to be sent to the public at large that in a democracy an opaque system of appointment to public posts which is shielded from disclosure under the bogey of fiduciary relationship cannot be tolerated." The court emphasized the need to take strong action to deter such frauds in the future and highlighted the important role of teachers in molding children from a young age.

Key Takeaways

• Calcutta HC cancelled 25,000 teaching/non-teaching staff appointments in WB govt schools
• Court declared 2016 recruitment process null and void due to manipulation and irregularities
• HC ordered CBI probe and fresh recruitment process within 15 days
• WB govt challenged HC order in SC, claiming only 4,327 staff had irregularities
• Scam came to light after CBI arrested ex-education minister and SSC officials in 2022