SC to Hear Pleas on Jan 15 Against Cancellation of 25753 Jobs in West Bengal Schools

The Supreme Court is set to hear pleas challenging the Calcutta High Court's decision to invalidate the appointment of 25,753 teachers and non-teaching staff in government and aided schools in West Bengal on January 15. A bench led by Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna, along with Justices Sanjay Kumar and K.V. Viswanathan, announced on Tuesday that the case will be taken up by a two-judge bench, comprising Chief Justice Khanna and Justice Kumar, at 2 pm on January 15.

This case involves 124 petitions, including one filed by the state government, challenging the Calcutta High Court's order. The court had previously directed that four lawyers be appointed as nodal counsel to help organise the proceedings. The lawyers appointed include Astha Sharma, who represents the state government, along with Shalini Kaul, Partha Chatterjee, and Shekhar Kumar.

The dispute stems from a May 7, 2024, order from the Supreme Court, which provided relief to the affected teachers and non-teaching staff after their appointments were annulled by the high court due to alleged irregularities in the appointment process. The high court had concluded that the recruitment process for these 25,753 positions was marred by systemic fraud and called for a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

While granting relief, the Supreme Court allowed the CBI to continue its investigation into the matter, which may extend to investigating members of the state cabinet if necessary. However, the top court also stated that if the investigation finds that the recruitment was illegal, those affected must refund their salaries and other benefits.

The case dates back to 2016, when over 23 lakh candidates appeared for the State Level Selection Test (SLST) for 24,640 vacant teaching and non-teaching posts. Despite the limited number of positions, 25,753 appointment letters were issued, prompting concerns about irregularities.