Supreme Court upholds Calcutta HC verdict, cancels 25,753 teacher appointments in West Bengal

In a landmark judgment, the Supreme Court of India has upheld the Calcutta High Court's April 22, 2024, verdict, which canceled the appointment of 25,753 teachers and non-teaching staff recruited through the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC). The apex court, led by Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar, ruled that the entire selection process was fraudulent and manipulated, rendering it illegitimate.

The ruling marks a severe setback for the Trinamool Congress (TMC)-led West Bengal government, as the court found the recruitment process to be riddled with corruption and irregularities. The verdict also criticized the state government for failing to identify and separate genuine candidates from those recruited illegally, despite multiple court directives.

According to BJP MP Raju Bista, who reacted strongly to the verdict, the TMC government actively obstructed justice instead of taking corrective measures. He alleged that the West Bengal Education Department destroyed crucial OMR answer sheets to protect unqualified individuals who secured jobs through bribery and political connections.

"The corrupt TMC government did not assist the court in identifying the culprits and instead destroyed evidence. The lives of thousands of deserving candidates have been destroyed because of this corrupt recruitment process," Bista said.

The Supreme Court’s decision now paves the way for a major overhaul of the recruitment system to ensure that merit prevails over manipulation in West Bengal’s education sector. In light of the verdict, Raju Bista demanded Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s resignation, holding her government morally responsible for the recruitment scam.

The ruling is expected to have far-reaching political and administrative consequences, putting further pressure on the TMC government to address corruption in state recruitment processes.