SLST Rules Challenge: Calcutta High Court Dismisses SLST 2025 Rules Challenge Case, New Turn in Recruitment Process

SLST Rules Challenge: The Calcutta High Court has dismissed a case challenging the rules of SLST 2025, marking a significant turn in the state’s teacher recruitment process. The single bench of Justice Saugata Bhattacharya delivered this verdict, shedding light on the ongoing debate about the future of thousands of eligible teachers in the state. In this blog post, we will discuss the key aspects of the case, the arguments from both sides, and the potential impact of this ruling.

Background of the Case

This case was primarily filed to challenge the validity of the new regulations for SLST 2025. It was argued on behalf of the petitioner, Abhijit Sadhukha, that these new rules differ from the previous recruitment methods and are against the interests of the state’s eligible teachers. The main concern of the petitioners was that the new rules, by allowing new candidates to sit for the exam, violate the 2016 recruitment regulations and could potentially disadvantage existing teachers.

Key Arguments in Court

During the hearing, both parties presented their respective arguments. Let’s look at those arguments in detail:

• Petitioner’s Argument: The petitioner’s lawyer stated that while a previous case focused on a specific part of the rules, this new case challenged the entirety of the SLST 2025 rules. According to them, the new regulations have created uncertainty for the future of thousands of experienced teachers in the state.
• School Service Commission’s (SSC) Counter-Argument: Representing the SSC, lawyer Kalyan Banerjee pointed out that the same petitioner had already filed a Special Leave Petition (SLP) in the Supreme Court on the same matter. He questioned the legality of running parallel cases in two different courts on the same issue. He also mentioned that the new rules include a provision for an additional 10 marks for experienced teachers to protect their jobs.

The Court’s Observation and Verdict

After hearing arguments from both sides, Justice Saugata Bhattacharya observed that a single petitioner cannot file cases on the same subject matter in two different courts, especially when the Supreme Court has already issued an order. He referred to previous judgments in cases like Arunima Pal vs. State of West Bengal and Vivek Paria’s case, where similar SLST-related matters had gone through various court levels, including the Supreme Court.

Based on this observation, the court dismissed the case. According to the court, parallel litigation on the same issue is not legally permissible.

Impact of This Verdict

As a result of this verdict, the SLST 2025 examination will proceed as planned. This is a step forward in resuming the teacher recruitment process in the state’s schools. However, there has been a mixed reaction among teachers regarding this decision. While one faction has welcomed the verdict and hopes for swift recruitment, another is still concerned about their future. It now remains to be seen how the state government and the School Service Commission move forward with this recruitment process in a transparent and smooth manner.