New SSC Case Again Over 10 Marks in SSC! This Time a Conflict Among Job-Losers, Know Details

SSC 10 Marks Case: The controversy surrounding the School Service Commission (SSC) teacher recruitment process seems never-ending. After multiple cases concerning the 10 marks for experience, a new and surprising legal battle has emerged. This time, the conflict is among the teachers who lost their jobs following the Supreme Court’s order regarding the 2016 SLST recruitment. The case primarily revolves around the 10 marks allocated for teaching experience.

This new writ petition has been filed before the bench of Justice Amrita Sinha at the Calcutta High Court, with the next hearing scheduled for January 10, 2025. The case has been initiated by Biswajit Biswas and others, who are themselves among the teachers who lost their jobs.

What is the Core Issue of the Case?

A section of the job-losing teachers, particularly those who were Post Graduate (PG) teachers for classes XI-XII, has filed this case. Their main objection is regarding the rules set by the School Service Commission for awarding the 10 marks for teaching experience in the new recruitment process.

Key claims of the petitioners:

• Level-Specific Experience: They argue that a teacher should only receive the 10 experience marks if they are applying for a post at the same level (e.g., IX-X or XI-XII) and in the same subject in which they previously taught.
• Reason for Objection: Under the current rules, a teacher from the XI-XII level is also eligible for the 10 experience marks when applying for a IX-X level post. According to the petitioners, this is illegal and illogical. They contend that experience in teaching higher secondary students should not be considered valid for a secondary level post.

Legal Basis and Arguments

The petitioners have presented several arguments to support their claims. They are leveraging the Supreme Court’s directive, which stated that the “greatest possible extent” of benefit should be provided to the teachers who lost their jobs. According to them, the current ambiguity in awarding experience marks contradicts that order.

Furthermore, they have alleged a violation of Articles 14, 16, and 21 of the Indian Constitution. They claim that the current rule goes against the “Principle of Natural Justice” as it disrupts the equality of opportunity among eligible candidates.

Biswajit Biswas, one of the main petitioners, was a Post Graduate teacher in History. The core argument put forth by him and other petitioners is that experience marks should only be applicable for the specific subject and level of teaching.

This case has further complicated the debate over the 10 marks. On one hand, fresh candidates are demanding the complete cancellation of these 10 marks, while on the other, the job-losing teachers are now fighting amongst themselves over the eligibility criteria for securing these very marks. The hearing on January 10 before Justice Amrita Sinha’s bench is set to be extremely crucial.