WBSSC Teacher Recruitment Case: “Tainted” Candidates Barred from Teacher Recruitment Exam

WBSSC Teacher Recruitment Case: In a landmark judgment, Justice Saugata Bhattacharya of the Calcutta High Court has directed the West Bengal School Service Commission (SSC) to amend its teacher recruitment notification. According to this directive, “tainted” or ineligible candidates, as identified by the Supreme Court, will no longer be permitted to sit for the new recruitment examination for classes 9 to 12. This ruling is being seen as a significant step towards ensuring transparency in the teacher recruitment process.

The Core Issue

Following the publication of the teacher recruitment notification on May 30th, numerous complaints were filed alleging that many “tainted” candidates had applied. The Calcutta High Court issued this stern directive based on these allegations. Justice Bhattacharya explicitly stated that the “tainted” candidates have been identified based on previous judgments by the Calcutta High Court and the Supreme Court, and that both the SSC and the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education are aware of who these candidates are.

Court’s Observations

• Exclusion of the Ineligible: The court has made it clear that there will be no room for corrupt candidates in the recruitment process.
• Objection to Experience Marks: The judge questioned how individuals who secured jobs through fraudulent means could benefit from the 10 percent marks allocated for teaching experience in the new recruitment process.
• Recruitment Deadline: The High Court also reiterated that the entire recruitment process must be completed by December 31st of this year, in accordance with the Supreme Court’s directive.

SSC’s Reaction

Bishwarup Bhattacharya, the lawyer for the SSC, stated that implementing this order would be difficult and that they are considering appealing to a higher court. However, the High Court has dismissed their plea.

Aspirants’ Reactions

A section of the job aspirants has welcomed the court’s decision. According to them, this verdict will bring some justice to the genuinely deserving candidates. However, another group is disappointed. They feel that the ruling does not address other critical issues, such as changes in eligibility criteria or the reduction in the number of vacancies.

Overall, this verdict from the Calcutta High Court has shown a new direction in the teacher recruitment process. It now remains to be seen how the SSC implements this directive and how transparent and corruption-free the future recruitment process will be.