Supreme Court Big Order on Primary Teacher Recruitment! Jobs to be Given Within 6 Weeks, Know Details

Primary Teacher Recruitment: A significant turning point has arrived in the primary teacher recruitment process of West Bengal. The Supreme Court has delivered a historic order regarding the recruitment of candidates from the D.El.Ed (Diploma in Elementary Education) 2020-22 academic session. Ending a long legal battle, the Apex Court has clearly instructed the West Bengal Board of Primary Education to complete this recruitment process within the next 6 weeks. This order brings an end to the long wait for thousands of job aspirants.

Eligibility of D.El.Ed 2020-22 Candidates and Court’s Observation

The core of this case revolved around the D.El.Ed candidates of the 2020-22 batch. The issue was that when the Primary Education Board issued the recruitment notification, these candidates did not possess their training certificates. However, the delay was primarily due to the Board’s negligence, not the candidates’ ineligibility. The Supreme Court considered this matter sympathetically and ruled that even if the candidates did not have the certificates in hand at the time of the notification, they would be considered eligible for the jobs.

The hearing took place before a bench comprising Justice P.S. Narasimha and Justice Atul S. Chandurkar. The court clarified that since the candidates’ course was supposed to be completed within the stipulated time, they cannot be deprived due to the lack of certificates. The Apex Court observed that candidates should not pay the price for the Board’s mistakes.

Complexity of Recruitment Process and Vacancy Statistics

The Primary Education Board had published a notification for the recruitment of Assistant Teachers on September 29, 2022. A total of 11,765 vacancies were announced in that notification. TET (Teacher Eligibility Test) qualified candidates from 2014 and 2017 participated in this recruitment process. Gradually, 9,533 candidates were given appointment letters. However, recruitment for the remaining posts was stalled due to complications involving D.El.Ed and NIOS candidates.

With the current Supreme Court order, the path for recruitment to the remaining vacancies is now clear. According to statistics:

• Total Vacancies: 11,765
• Already Recruited: 9,533
• Current Recruitment Target: Approximately 2,232

Petitioners’ Allegations and Court’s Strict Message

During the hearing, the petitioners’ lawyer, P.S. Patwalia, alleged that the State Government and the Board were not following the court’s previous orders, which amounted to contempt of court. In response, the Board’s lawyer, Jaideep Gupta, stated that the delay occurred because calculating the exact vacancies took time, but they are willing to recruit.

Justice P.S. Narasimha sternly stated that the government must strictly adhere to whatever orders the Supreme Court issues. The court has set a deadline of 6 weeks and stated that within this period, a panel must be prepared based on merit, and appointment letters must be issued to eligible candidates. Not just the petitioners, but all eligible candidates on the merit list will get this opportunity.

Key Highlights at a Glance

• Deadline: The recruitment process must be completed within the next 6 weeks.
• Eligibility: D.El.Ed 2020-22 batch candidates are eligible even if they did not receive certificates at the time of notification.
• Vacancies: Recruitment will be conducted for approximately 2,232 posts.
• Recruitment Method: Recruitment will be done transparently based entirely on merit.

This verdict by the Supreme Court will remain a significant chapter in the history of primary teacher recruitment in the state. Job aspirants are now looking forward to the Board’s next steps.