A major setback for the West Bengal administration led by Mamata Banerjee, 25,753 teachers were fired as a result of the Calcutta High Court nullifying the 2016 government-sponsored and aided school recruiting process. These people were appointed through an illegitimate process, according to the court, and they are required to refund whatever salary they have received since being appointed, plus an additional 12% interest.
The division bench, which was made up of Justices Debangsu Basak and Md. Shabbar Rashidi, discovered that there were several anomalies in the hiring process for these teachers, most notably the use of blank Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) sheets. Consequently, the court declared their appointments to be illegal and ordered their wages to be returned within four weeks, with district magistrates in charge of collecting them.
The Supreme Court’s direction is followed by the High Court’s ruling, which was made following a thorough examination of the hiring procedure. In addition, the bench has demanded that the Central Bureau of probe (CBI) conduct a more thorough probe into the appointment process and that it submit a report on its findings within three months. Furthermore, a new appointment procedure has been mandated for the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC), indicating a major transformation of the state’s educational system.
The Trinamool Congress government is probably going to fight the order in the Supreme Court, adding fuel to the political firestorm caused by the ruling. Tensions have been heightened by the legal actions taken against a number of Trinamool politicians, including former state minister Partha Chatterjee, in relation to the teacher recruitment case.
Opposition parties, particularly the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Bengal, have seized upon the court’s decision to criticize the Trinamool government. They have highlighted the ruling as evidence of mismanagement and corruption within the administration, positioning it as a rallying cry for electoral change in the upcoming elections.
This development is not isolated, as it follows a pattern of judicial intervention in matters related to teacher recruitment in West Bengal. Last year, the Calcutta High Court dismissed panels set up by the WBSCC and canceled the appointment of 32,000 untrained primary teachers, further underscoring systemic flaws in the state’s education system.
As the legal battle unfolds and the political ramifications reverberate, the fate of thousands of teachers hangs in the balance. The ruling serves as a stark reminder of the imperative for transparency, accountability, and adherence to due process in matters of public employment, particularly within critical sectors such as education.
Systemic inadequacies in the state’s education system were highlighted further last year when the Calcutta High Court invalidated the appointment of 32,000 untrained elementary teachers and dismissed panels established by the WBSCC.
The fate of thousands of teachers is at stake while the legal dispute plays out and the political fallout ripples. The decision is a sobering reminder of how important it is to have openness, responsibility, and due process followed when it comes to public employment, especially in vital industries like education.
