Supreme Court to Decide Fate of 25,753 School Jobs: What’s Next for West Bengal?

New Delhi: The Supreme Court of India is set to hear a crucial plea on Monday regarding the cancellation of 25,753 teaching and non-teaching appointments made by the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC) in 2016. The hearing includes an appeal by the West Bengal government against the Calcutta High Court’s order that nullified these appointments.

Key Details of the Case

A bench comprising Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna and Justices Sanjay Kumar and K.V. Viswanathan will take up the matter on January 27 at 2 p.m. As per the court’s directions during a previous hearing, all pleadings were to be completed, giving private respondents one final opportunity to file their counter-affidavits. Four nodal counsels have been appointed to circulate a common compilation of pleadings.

Timeline of Events

• May 7, 2024: A bench led by then CJI D.Y. Chandrachud stayed the Calcutta High Court’s order, allowing the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to continue its investigation into the alleged scam but restricting coercive action against the candidates or officials.
• April 2024: The Calcutta High Court canceled the appointments of candidates from expired panels, ordering them to return their drawn salaries with 12% annualized interest. It directed WBSSC to restart the recruitment process and allowed the CBI to question individuals involved in creating super-numeric posts.
• July 2023: The Supreme Court set aside an earlier interim direction by the Calcutta High Court that terminated 32,000 primary teachers and instructed the state to complete recruitment for new vacancies within three months.

Calcutta HC’s Order: Key Points

• Job Termination: Appointments of 25,753 teaching and non-teaching staff were nullified.
• Return of Salaries: Candidates were ordered to return salaries with interest.
• Super-Numeric Posts: The court raised concerns about the creation of unauthorized posts, perceived to benefit ineligible candidates.
• CBI Probe: The investigation into the alleged school-jobs-for-cash scam was allowed to continue.

Implications of the Case

The case has far-reaching implications for thousands of affected candidates and the credibility of recruitment processes in West Bengal. The controversy revolves around alleged irregularities in appointments, including the creation of super-numeric posts and the use of expired panels to recruit candidates.

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What’s Next?

The Supreme Court’s decision on this matter is highly anticipated as it will determine the fate of thousands of affected individuals while addressing the larger issue of transparency in public recruitment.