Supreme Court slams West Bengal Government over WBSSC scam, citing smuggling tainted candidates and ruining futures, as it warns against manipulation in teachers’ recruitment process.
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NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court of India, on Thursday, strongly reprimanded the West Bengal government for its handling of the tainted teachers’ recruitment scam linked to the State Level Selection Test (SLST) conducted by the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC). The matter has once again put the integrity of public recruitment under sharp judicial scrutiny.
A bench comprising Justice PV Sanjay Kumar and Justice Alok Aradhe expressed deep displeasure over the State’s submissions before the Calcutta High Court regarding tainted candidates. Justice Kumar remarked:
“You said our judgment does not say anything on tainted candidates being permitted to appear. This is how the State of West Bengal is understanding the judgment? What kind of blue-eyed girls and boys are these that you even bring in the Advocate General to argue for them?”
The Court condemned the government’s attempt to allow tainted candidates to participate again, observing:
“On the face of it, it’s shocking; how you ruin the lives of these candidates by manipulating OMRs and bringing in your own people. Now you want tainted candidates to be smuggled in again.”
ALSO READ: Supreme Court Says ‘No Rehearing!’ West Bengal 24,000 School Job Appointments Cancelled
The bench also refused to entertain a fresh plea seeking more time for disabled candidates, making it clear that the deadline of September 2, 2025, fixed by earlier orders, could not be extended.
“Sorry, there is no new issue. That order applies to all. If you haven’t taken advantage of the time given, we can’t help. The date can’t be extended,”
Justice Kumar clarified.
Counsel for the WBSSC argued that pursuant to the Court’s earlier directions, “everyone has been removed.” However, petitioners’ counsel, Senior Advocates Menaka Guruswamy and Vibha Datta Makhija, pointed out that the State failed to adopt any mechanism to weed out tainted candidates.
Justice Kumar warned the State:
“If you are allowing any of those candidates to appear again, take it from us, we will come down on you like a ton of bricks.”
The bench further observed that there was “no justification” for the government’s actions unless “some Minister wants some candidate.”
Directions for Fresh Recruitment
Despite the controversy, the Court permitted the WBSSC to proceed with fresh recruitment tests scheduled for September 7 and 14, 2025, with strict conditions:
- No tainted candidates will be allowed to participate.
- Untainted teachers already appointed and continuing till December 31, 2025, will be eligible to sit for the fresh exams without the requirement of meeting the new 50% eligibility norm.
- The application window was extended by ten days, with an option for physical submissions in case of technical issues.
Background of the Case
The cancellation of recruitments resulted in 25,753 teaching and non-teaching staff losing their jobs. Many of them, who were appointed under the tainted process, launched agitations demanding justice. On July 14, 2024, under the banner of Jogya Shikshak Shikshika Adhikar Mancha, former SSC teachers staged the ‘Nabanno Abhiyan’ protest march in Howrah against the Mamata Banerjee-led government.
Despite repeated protests, the judiciary maintained that the entire recruitment process was vitiated and could not be salvaged.
The tainted recruitment scandal has been under intense judicial scrutiny:
August 2025: The Apex Court dismissed review petitions and directed the SSC to publicly disclose details of tainted candidates. Following this, the Commission released names, roll numbers, and serial numbers of 1,804 candidates.
April 22, 2024: The Calcutta High Court quashed SLST-2016 appointments, terming the process “shrouded in mystery.”
April 3, 2025: The Supreme Court upheld the High Court’s findings, holding the entire selection process compromised by fraud.
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