Supreme Court To Hear Case On Cancelled Teacher Appointments In West Bengal

The Supreme Court has scheduled a final hearing for September regarding the petitions filed by the West Bengal government and others. These petitions challenge the cancellation of 25,753 teacher appointments in government and aided schools across the state. The court has given all parties until August 16 to file their replies. In total, the court is hearing 33 petitions related to this case.

During the last hearing, the Supreme Court made strong statements. The court accused authorities of perpetrating “systematic fraud” in the appointment process. The court emphasized that authorities are responsible for maintaining digital records related to the appointments of 25,753 teachers and non-teaching staff. The court questioned the West Bengal government’s lawyer, highlighting the significance of public trust in government jobs.

The court stated that public jobs are scarce and highly sought after as a means of social mobility. If these appointments are tainted by fraud, the court warned that people will lose faith in the system. The court asked the state government’s lawyer to clarify whether digital records were maintained by officials. The court demanded a clear answer, saying, “Either you have it, or you don’t.”

Previously, on April 22, the Calcutta High Court declared the appointments of 25,753 teachers and non-teaching staff invalid. Alongside cancelling the appointments, the Calcutta High Court directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to investigate the appointment process. The CBI must submit a report within three months.

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