The West Bengal government has moved a division bench of the Calcutta High Court, challenging a single-judge order that barred candidates previously involved in recruitment irregularities from participating in the fresh hiring process by the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC).
On Monday, Justice Saugata Bhattacharyya of the Calcutta High Court ruled that candidates implicated in past recruitment scams cannot take part in the new selection process, citing a clear directive from the Supreme Court. The state government and WBSSC contested this interpretation, arguing that the apex court had only denied relaxations to such candidates but did not explicitly prohibit their participation.
The state also raised concerns over Article 20(2) of the Constitution, which protects against double jeopardy, asserting that terminating their services and then barring them from reapplying amounts to punitive action twice for the same offense.
Petitioners Seek Changes in Recruitment Rules
Separately, a group of petitioners, primarily candidates from the 2016 waiting list, also approached the division bench, contesting portions of the single-judge order that declined to modify the revised recruitment rules. Their key grievances include:
Upper Age Limit: The petitioners sought the removal of the 40-year age cap for eligibility.
Revised Marking Scheme: The new recruitment policy increases the written exam weightage from 55 to 60 marks, while reducing academic qualification marks from 35 to 10. Additionally, 10 marks each are allocated for teaching experience and a "lecture demonstration," with interviews retaining 10 marks.
The petitioners argue that these changes disproportionately affect candidates who were earlier deprived of jobs due to the scam, as they will now be assessed out of 90 marks instead of 100, putting them at a disadvantage.
The case was presented before a division bench comprising Justice Soumen Sen and Justice Smita Das De on Tuesday, with further hearings set for Wednesday. The outcome could significantly impact the ongoing WBSSC recruitment process, which has been mired in legal disputes for years.
Stay tuned for further updates on this developing story.
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