32000 Teacher Recruitment Case: New Twists in the Court Hearing Today
32000 Teacher Recruitment Case: The thirteenth hearing of the 32,000 primary teacher recruitment case has concluded in the Calcutta High Court, with the next hearing scheduled for August 21st. Some new and crucial information emerged during today’s session, which could be instrumental in determining the future of this case. In this blog post, we will discuss the key points of today’s hearing in simple terms.
TET Scam vs. Recruitment Process
One of the main topics of today’s hearing was to highlight the distinction between the TET (Teacher Eligibility Test) and the recruitment process. The petitioners’ lawyers argued that while there may be allegations of some irregularities in the TET exam, the recruitment or selection process itself is completely free of corruption. According to them, the single judge’s verdict was based on a “TET scam,” but the original petition had no allegations of a TET scam. If the court accepts this argument, the possibility of canceling the entire recruitment process may be reduced.
OMR Sheet Scam and its Impact
The issue of the OMR sheet scam in the 2012 TET exam, which is currently under judicial review in another case, was also raised in the hearing. If this OMR scam is proven, it could affect three different recruitment processes:
- 16,500 teacher recruitment
- 42,000 teacher recruitment (from 2014)
- 11,765 teacher recruitment (from 2022)
This issue has made the case even more complex, as the impact of one scam could fall on multiple recruitment processes.
The Issue of Trained Candidates and Para-Teachers
Another important point was the difference in marks between trained candidates and para-teachers. It was stated in the hearing that trained candidates receive an additional 15 marks, whereas para-teachers get only 5 marks for teaching experience, even though both have to go through the same interview and selection process. The judge, however, stated that the main concern was with untrained candidates, not necessarily with para-teachers.
Court’s Directives and Other Arguments
A previous Supreme Court order was mentioned in the hearing, which stated that the statements of all affected parties must be heard before a final verdict is given. Also, an example of another High Court order was given, where it was stated that canceling 32,000 jobs at once is not reasonable and that segregation based on proven misconduct is possible. A lawyer from the Jalpaiguri district claimed that no interviews or petitioners were called from their district, so their district is not involved in this recruitment scam. Also, the case of meritorious candidates (who got jobs with honors in Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry) was also raised and concerns were expressed about the impact of the cancellation of their jobs.
At the end of today’s hearing, an assurance of a resolution has been given in the next hearing. We will have to wait until August 21st to see which way the case turns. The future of 32,000 teachers depends on the verdict the court gives after hearing the arguments of all the parties.
