2014 Primary TET OMR Case Resumes in High Court; Future of Job Seekers Hangs in the Balance After CBI Probe!

Primary TET OMR Case: The 2014 Primary TET OMR scam case has once again been brought before the Calcutta High Court. A hearing for this case is scheduled for August 18, 2025, before the bench of Justice Rajasri Bharadwaj, which could be a significant turning point in determining the fate of thousands of job aspirants in West Bengal. This case, known as Rabiul Haque vs. The State of West Bengal, has witnessed a long legal battle, with each hearing bringing a mix of hope and anxiety among the candidates.

Background and History of the Case

The case originated from allegations of irregularities concerning the OMR sheets of the 2014 Primary TET examination. The main contention of the petitioners is that they have not been allowed to see their original OMR sheets despite filing multiple RTI applications and depositing the required fees. The case was initially before the bench of Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay and his rulings had caused a stir on several occasions. The last hearing was on July 5, 2024, before Justice Rajasri Bharadwaj, and it is currently listed at number 71 for the hearing on August 18.

Previous Court Directives

In the last hearing, Justice Rajasri Bharadwaj gave several important directives to the CBI. The notable instructions were:

• To find and submit all original OMR sheets, destroyed OMR sheets, and server copies to the court.
• To seek assistance from software and IT experts if necessary.
• To identify the location of the OMR sheets with technical support from organizations like NIC, Wipro, TCS, or Infosys.

These directives indicate that the court is determined to delve deep into the scam to uncover the truth.

Current Status and Complications

The main case in this matter, the Santanu Sheet case, is currently stayed as the Primary Education Board has challenged it in the Division Bench. Since no specific order has come from the Division Bench, the Single Bench cannot intervene in the matter, which is further prolonging the case. Due to these legal complexities, there has been no progress in the OMR case for over a year.

Impact on the 32,000 Job Cancellation Case

A question has arisen in many minds: will the hearing of this OMR case affect the ongoing 32,000 job cancellation case? According to lawyers, the 2014 TET examination and the 2017 recruitment process are two completely separate issues. The teachers affected in the job cancellation case had also passed the same TET examination. Therefore, their lawyers have argued in court that the blame for the lack of transparency in the 2014 TET should not be placed on the 2017 recruitment process. Thus, the verdict of this OMR case is unlikely to directly affect the 32,000 job cancellation case.

Overall, the hearing on August 18 is going to be extremely important for the job aspirants of West Bengal. The court’s next directive will decide which way the future of this long-awaited case will turn and what is written in the fate of thousands of job seekers.