32000 Teacher Case: New Turn in WB Primary Teacher Recruitment Case, SLP Filed in Supreme Court

32000 Teacher Case: The legal battle surrounding the cancellation of 32,000 primary teacher jobs in West Bengal has taken a significant turn, moving from the Calcutta High Court to the Supreme Court of India. Challengers have filed a Special Leave Petition (SLP) in the apex court, contesting the Division Bench’s order that previously upheld the employment of these teachers. This development has once again brought the recruitment process under intense legal scrutiny.

Current Status of the Case in Supreme Court

On December 13, 2025, a Division Bench of the Calcutta High Court, comprising Justice Tapabrata Chakraborty and Justice Ritabrata Kumar Maitra, ruled in favor of retaining the jobs of non-trained primary teachers recruited in 2017. Challenging this verdict, the petitioners filed an SLP on February 24, 2026.

• Filing Details: The petition was electronically filed late at night at 11:12 PM.
• Current Status: The case is currently pending under Section IBA. While a diary number has been generated, the SLP number, CNR number, and a confirmed date for the hearing have not yet been allotted.
• Parties Involved: The Union of India has been listed as a respondent, but notably, the State of West Bengal has not been made a party in this specific filing. Advocate Shekhar Kumar is representing the petitioners. This case challenges the original MAT No. 873 (2023) of the Calcutta High Court.

Change in Petitioners and Strategic Shifts

A crucial development in this legal saga is the change in the lead petitioner. Priyanka Naskar, who was the face of the original petition in the High Court, has secured a job in a recent recruitment drive. Consequently, she can no longer contest the case. Swapna Baidya, who was second in the merit list, has now stepped in as the main petitioner in the Supreme Court. Out of the original 143 petitioners, approximately 70 have joined this SLP, as many others have already secured employment.

The ‘Caveat’ Defense by Teachers and Board

Anticipating a move to the Supreme Court, the West Bengal Board of Primary Education and the employed teachers had proactively filed caveats immediately after the High Court’s judgment. A caveat ensures that the court will not pass any ex-parte order (one-sided judgment) without hearing the other party.

Timeline of Caveats Filed (2025):

• December 5: Tuhin Kumar Haldar and the West Bengal Board of Primary Education.
• December 8: The State Government.
• December 9 & 10: Premendu Chakraborty and Partha Pratim Bhattacharya.
• December 15: Diptendu Baidya.

Expert Analysis and Future Outlook

Legal experts suggest that the Supreme Court is likely to carefully consider the High Court Division Bench’s observations. The High Court had noted a lack of direct evidence regarding corruption or money trails specifically linked to these 32,000 teachers, unlike other recruitment cases involving 26,000 cancellations. However, if the petitioners can prove they scored above the cut-off marks yet were denied jobs, the apex court might direct the Board to consider their appointments. The final outcome remains to be seen as the case progresses.