Today, On 27th January, The Supreme Court will hear pleas regarding the cancellation of 25,753 teaching and non-teaching jobs in West Bengal, as ordered by the High Court. The apex court clarified that if it finds the appointments illegal, those affected must return the salaries and benefits they received. This case stems from allegations of irregularities in recruitment for school jobs.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court is set to hear a series of petitions on Monday that challenge a Calcutta High Court ruling which invalidated the appointments of 25,753 teachers and non-teaching staff in West Bengal’s government and govt-supported schools.
According to the cause list published on the Supreme Court’s website, a bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar will hear the case.
On January 15, various petitioners argued that the high court’s decision has negatively affected the lives and livelihoods of innocent candidates. The Chief Justice acknowledged these concerns, emphasizing the importance of balancing the need to address illegal appointments with the protection of untainted appointees.
He suggested that, wherever possible, the cases should be separated to protect innocent candidates.
A total of 124 petitions, including one from the state government contesting the April 2024 high court ruling, are currently pending before the Supreme Court.
During December’s hearings, the Supreme Court questioned the West Bengal government about its decision to create additional posts for teachers and non-teaching staff instead of eliminating those allegedly appointed illegally.
On May 7 last year, the Supreme Court stayed the high court’s order regarding the appointments made by the state’s School Service Commission (SSC) but allowed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to continue its investigation. It clarified that while the CBI probe ordered by the high court could proceed, no coercive actions would be taken.
Importantly, the Supreme Court stated that teachers and non-teaching staff whose appointments were cancelled by the high court would need to repay their salaries and other benefits if found to have been illegally recruited.
In its May 7, 2024 order, the Supreme Court noted that on May 19, 2022, the state government had created 6,861 additional posts to accommodate wait-listed candidates. It was directed that appointment letters for these candidates should be issued in accordance with SSC recommendations, dependent on the outcome of the ongoing litigation in the high court.
Over 2.3 million candidates had participated in the State Level Selection Test-2016 for 24,640 vacant positions, resulting in the issuance of 25,753 appointment letters.