SSC 10 no Case: The much-discussed SSC 10 no PG case had its hearing today at the Calcutta High Court. The hearing took place in the bench of Justice Amrita Sinha, in a case widely known as the “Untainted vs. Untainted” battle among job aspirants. Although several renowned lawyers from the state were present, the hearing was very brief. However, several crucial aspects of the case emerged within this short period.
Senior Advocate Kalyan Banerjee, Supreme Court lawyer Meenakshi Goswami, and Advocate Ashish Babu on behalf of the petitioners were present during today’s hearing. At the beginning of the proceedings, the petitioners’ lawyer informed the court that there are a total of 25 petitioners in this case, along with multiple connected applications.
Key Arguments and Court’s Observations
The central issue of the hearing was the rule granting 10 extra marks for experience to in-service 9th-10th grade teachers applying for 11th-12th grade positions. The main question from the petitioners’ side was why teachers who have been teaching for years need to undergo a teaching demonstration again.
In this context, the petitioners’ counsel referred to a Supreme Court order, mentioning the provision of “highest benefit” for candidates whose jobs were cancelled. However, Justice Amrita Sinha clarified that the Supreme Court’s order did not contain any specific directive to give the highest benefit directly to the candidates whose jobs were terminated. Instead, the order emphasized that the recruitment process must be completed with transparency and paramount consideration.
The Justice further remarked, “Rules are rules. This rule (regarding the 10 marks) has already been challenged in the Supreme Court.” This indicates that the matter is also sub-judice in the apex court.
Commission’s Objection and Next Steps
On the other hand, the lawyer for the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBBSSC) raised questions about the maintainability of the writ petition itself. Their argument was that the candidates appeared for the examination knowing all the recruitment rules. So why are they challenging those rules after such a long time?
After hearing arguments from both sides, the Justice scheduled the next hearing for the case. Multiple related cases will be heard together on the upcoming 12th of November. That day’s hearing is expected to be extremely crucial, as it may settle the debate on whether the “10 marks should be given before or after” the main selection process.
According to case observers, if the experienced teachers lose this case, about 60-70% of qualified and untainted teachers from the 2016 panel could be deprived of their jobs. In that scenario, freshers or new candidates would get the opportunity. The verdict in this case is considered highly significant for the interests of qualified and experienced teachers.
