Primary Teacher Recruitment: Calcutta High Court Big Verdict Many Candidates Getting Primary Jobs Justice Orders

Primary Teacher Recruitment: The Calcutta High Court has once again delivered a significant verdict regarding primary teacher recruitment. After a prolonged legal battle, many candidates associated with the 2009 primary teacher recruitment process are finally set to get job opportunities. Justice Bibhas Pattanayak issued this order during a hearing, bringing much-needed relief to the aspiring candidates.

Background of the Case

The case is primarily rooted in the 2009 primary teacher recruitment process. Legal complications had persisted for a long time regarding recruitment in four districts of the state—Malda, Howrah, North 24 Parganas, and South 24 Parganas. The petitioners mainly alleged a lack of transparency in the publication of the panel and the overall recruitment process. Allegations were raised that candidates who had not appeared for interviews or had secured very low marks were also given appointment letters.

Arguments in Court

During the hearing in Justice Bibhas Pattanayak’s court, there was a heated exchange of arguments between the lawyers of both parties.

• DPSC’s Argument: The lawyer for the District Primary School Council (DPSC) claimed that the recruitment process had been completed long ago and there were no new vacancies currently. Therefore, claiming jobs or filing writ petitions at this stage was argued to be ‘Not Maintainable’.
• Petitioners’ Argument: Advocate Subir Sanyal, representing the petitioners, stated that his clients had approached the court back in 2019 demanding the publication of the panel. He alleged massive irregularities in the recruitment process, citing that ineligible candidates were also given jobs.

Justice Mantha’s Order and Cut-off Date

The context of a previous order by Justice Rajasekhar Mantha became crucial during the hearing. On April 25, 2024, Justice Mantha had mentioned a specific ‘Cut-off Date’. The instruction was that those who had approached the court before that specific date must have their recruitment considered. Instead of cancelling the entire panel, the court had opined to set aside the irregularities and pave the way for the recruitment of eligible candidates.

Final Verdict of the Court

After hearing both sides, Justice Bibhas Pattanayak ruled that since the current petitioners had filed the case well before the cut-off date set by Justice Mantha (in 2019), they must be considered similarly.

In this specific instance, the timing of exercising ‘Legal Rights’ or approaching the court has been given more weight than the merit list position. Following the court’s order, the Malda District Primary School Council has been directed to arrange for the recruitment of the specific petitioners. As a result, ending a long wait, many candidates are now getting the opportunity to join as primary teachers.