The Supreme Court on Thursday upheld the Calcutta High Court’s ruling that annulled over 25,000 appointments of teachers and non-teaching staff made by the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC), stating that the entire selection process had been “vitiated and tainted” beyond resolution.

The apex court’s judgment, which marked a major setback to the Trinamool Congress government in West Bengal, has sparked widespread criticism from the BJP and the CPI(M) against Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

The Calcutta High Court on April 22, 2024 ordered the cancellation of the recruitment of 25,753 teachers and non-teaching staff in government and aided schools across the State by WBSSC in 2016.

A Bench of Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar was considering a batch of petitions challenging the High Court’s order. The bench agreed with the High Court’s finding that the selection process was vitiated and riddled with manipulations and fraud.

Selection process tainted

“In our opinion, this is a case wherein the entire selection process has been vitiated and tainted beyond resolution. Manipulations and frauds on a large scale, coupled with the attempted cover-up, have dented the selection process beyond repair and partial redemption. The credibility and legitimacy of the selection are denuded,” CJI Khanna said, pronouncing the verdict.

“We find no valid ground or reason to interfere with the direction of the High Court that the services of tainted candidates, where appointed, must be terminated, and they should be required to refund any salaries/payments received. Since their appointments were the result of fraud, this amounts to cheating. Therefore, we see no justification to alter this direction,” the verdict stated.

“For candidates not specifically found to be tainted, the entire selection process has been rightly declared null and void due to the egregious violations and illegalities, which violated Articles 14 and 16 of the Constitution. As such, the appointments of these candidates are cancelled. However, candidates who are already employed need not be asked to refund or restitute any payments made to them. However, their services will be terminated. Furthermore, no candidate can be appointed once the entire examination process and results have been declared void,” it added.

Mamata Banerjee said she has the highest regard for the judiciary but could not accept the Supreme Court’s verdict invalidating the appointments of 25,753 teachers and other staff in State-run schools.

Addressing a press conference at the State Secretariat, Banerjee, however, emphasised that her government would abide by the apex court’s decision while exploring all legal options.

“While I have the highest respect for the judiciary, I cannot accept the judgment from a humanitarian point of view. As a citizen of this country, I have every right to express an opinion. I can’t agree with the judgment,” she said.

“We have informed the WBSSC about our feelings that a fresh recruitment should be completed within three months as suggested by the court,” she added.

The Opposition parties in Bengal blamed Banerjee for the cancellation of appointment of the teachers and non-teaching staff in the government and aided schools.

The BJP demanded the resignation of the Chief Minister for the “plight” of nearly 26,000 teachers whose jobs were invalidated.

“The sole responsibility for this massive corruption in teacher recruitment lies with the failed Chief Minister of the State. The Supreme Court’s verdict has made it clear how, under Banerjee’s rule, the merit of educated unemployed youth in West Bengal was sold in exchange for money!” State BJP President and Union Minister of State for Education, Sukanta Majumdar said in a post on X.

The CPI(M) said the government should take urgent steps to fill up the vacancies that have been created after the Supreme Court invalidated the jobs of the teachers. Otherwise, it would affect the State’s education system.

CPI(M) State Secretary Mohammed Salim said the education system in the State’s schools will be affected since a large number of teachers lost their jobs.

Published on April 3, 2025