Bengal recruitment row: Supreme Court allows ‘untainted’ teachers to stay until December

The bench directed the state government and the WBSSC to “file an affidavit on or before May 31, 2025, inclusive therewith of the advertisement, as well as the schedule so as to ensure the completion of the recruitment process by December 31, 2025.”

If the advertisement is not published, and the affidavit is not filed by May 31, 2025, appropriate orders will be passed by the court, including imposing costs and vacation of the order, it said.

On April 3, the Supreme Court had upheld the Calcutta High Court order which invalidated the appointment of over 25,000 teachers and non-teaching staff, recruited through the 2016 WBSSC examinations, terming the entire selection process “tainted beyond resolution” and calling for a fresh selection process to fill the vacancies.

The state government had filed an application, submitting that the terminations had adversely impacted teaching in various state-run and aided schools.

“We are concerned about the students, and therefore we permit them. But you have to give an undertaking that an advertisement will be out by May 31 and if not, we will recall,” the CJI said on Thursday.

“By May, we will take it (advertisement) out. First step is that the state formulates rules. The next step is the advertisement. There will be four advertisements for different categories. And then there will be the exams,” Senior Advocate Jaideep Gupta, who represented the state government, said.

Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal, also appearing for the state government, sought to assure that the recruitment process would be over by December.

Senior Advocate N K Kaul, appearing for the WBSSC, said that “since 2016, there has been no recruitment because of this litigation, so they are understaffed.”

Taking note of the submissions, the SC said it would grant extension of service to “untainted” teachers, but this would not apply to Grade C and D employees.

The case stems from the alleged irregularities in the WBSSC’s 2016 recruitment process, in which over 25,000 appointment letters were issued.