New SSC Case in Supreme Court: Appeal to Extend Teachers’ Service Tenure, Group C-D Excluded?

SSC Case Update: The West Bengal Board of Secondary Education (WBBSE) has once again approached the Supreme Court regarding the ongoing SSC recruitment case. Amidst the complexities of job cancellations and the directives from the Apex Court, the state government has initiated this new legal step to ensure the smooth functioning of schools. Filed on the evening of Sunday, January 12, 2025, this case holds significant importance for the future of thousands of teachers in the state.

Below are the detailed insights into this new case and its potential implications.

Case Details

The West Bengal Board of Secondary Education has filed a new Miscellaneous Application (MA) in the Supreme Court. The primary details of the filing are as follows:

Why This New Application?

The State Government has filed this new MA primarily for two reasons. Although the Supreme Court had previously ordered the cancellation of jobs recruited through SSC, the service tenure of these teachers was extended until December 31 to prevent a teacher crisis in schools.

According to the Board’s submission:

• Extension of Tenure: As the previously set deadline is coming to an end and the state government has not yet been able to complete the new recruitment process, they have sought more time to avoid disrupting academic activities.
• Class-wise Extension: The state has appealed to the Supreme Court to extend the service tenure for Class 11-12 teachers until January and for Class 9-10 teachers until March.

Future of Group C & D Staff?

A concerning aspect of this application is the exclusion of non-teaching staff. While the Board has applied for the extension of service for teaching staff (Class 9-12), there is no mention of Group C and Group D staff in this plea. This raises serious questions regarding the extension or protection of their jobs, potentially leading to distress among these employees as the state has made no proposal for them in this specific application.

Connection with Previous Cases & Future Outlook

This new filing is linked to several previous significant orders, specifically S405/2025 and MA 709/2025. The new file has tagged cases 18359/2025 and MA 00709/2025.

Probable Hearing:
There is a high possibility that this case will be heard before the court vacation begins, likely by the 19th of this month. The matter is expected to be listed before the bench of Justice Sanjay Kumar.

The likelihood of receiving salaries or further extension of service beyond March is very low. Therefore, experts advise that untainted teachers who did not get an opportunity in the Class 9-10 results, as well as valid teachers from the 2016 panel, should continue their legal battle to protect their rights.