WB School Jobs Row: SC To Hear Pleas Challenging Calcutta HC Verdict On Sept 24

The Supreme Court has scheduled a hearing for September 24 on appeals by the West Bengal government and others against a Calcutta High Court decision.

The high court had invalidated the appointments of 25,753 teachers and non-teaching staff in state-run and aided schools.

A bench led by Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud, along with Justices J.B. Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, postponed the hearing initially listed for Tuesday due to ongoing cases. “We will list it on September 24,” said the Chief Justice.

Previously, the court had set September 10 as the hearing date and had given the parties until August 16 to submit responses. The bench also asked lawyers Astha Sharma, Shalini Kaul, Partha Chatterjee, and Shekhar Kumar to compile relevant records in electronic format, ensuring that judgments cited by both sides are included in a single PDF.

This case revolves around the April 22 judgment of the Calcutta High Court, which is being challenged by 33 petitions, including one from the West Bengal government.

On May 7, the Supreme Court provided relief to the teachers and staff whose appointments were invalidated, citing irregularities in the recruitment process. The court allowed the CBI to continue its investigation, including probing state Cabinet members if necessary, but instructed them not to arrest anyone during the inquiry.

The court also warned that if the recruitment was found illegal, those affected would need to repay the salaries and benefits they had received. The bench stated that a detailed analysis was required to determine if the flawed appointments could be separated from the valid ones, suggesting it would be unfair to cancel the entire process if only part of it was corrupt.

The court described the recruitment scandal as a “systemic fraud.” Chief Justice Chandrachud emphasized, “Public jobs are so scarce… Nothing remains if the faith of the public goes. This is systemic fraud.” He highlighted that public jobs are crucial for social mobility, and corruption in appointments erodes public trust.

The high court had ordered the CBI to investigate the recruitment process and submit a report within three months. More than 23 lakh candidates took the 2016 State Level Selection Test (SLST) for 24,640 vacancies, but 25,753 appointment letters were issued.

Those who were appointed outside the advertised vacancies, after the recruitment deadline, or with blank OMR sheets were instructed to return all payments received, with 12% annual interest, within four weeks.

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