In a significant development concerning teacher recruitment in West Bengal, the Calcutta High Court on Friday directed the West Bengal School Service Commission (SSC) to produce the list of candidates appointed during the 2016 recruitment process after the official expiry of the recruitment panel.
The direction came from the single bench of Justice Amrita Sinha while hearing a plea challenging the 2025 recruitment rules for state-run and state-aided schools.
The core issue before the Court involves two distinct but connected aspects of teacher recruitment in West Bengal. First, petitioners have challenged the new 2025 recruitment rules under which an ongoing selection process is being conducted for classes 9-10 and 11-12. Second, allegations have been raised regarding the 2016 School Level Selection Test (SLST), specifically that appointments were illegally made after the recruitment panels had legally expired in 2018 and 2019. The Court’s immediate focus is on verifying the validity of these past appointments while scrutinizing the rules for the upcoming selection.
Background of the Case
The controversy stems from the 2016 SLST recruitment process for Assistant Teachers. The recruitment panel formed for classes 11-12 expired in November 2018, while the panel for classes 9-10 expired in March 2019. Despite these strictly defined validity periods, allegations persist that the SSC continued to recommend candidates for appointment beyond these dates.
Simultaneously, the state has initiated a new recruitment drive under the 2025 rules. A writ petition was filed challenging these new rules, arguing that they contain provisions that violate constitutional principles of equality. During the proceedings, the petitioners also brought the issue of the 2016 post-expiry appointments to the Court’s notice, seeking accountability before the new process solidifies.
Arguments of the Petitioners
Senior Advocate Bikash Bhattacharya, appearing for a section of the petitioners, emphasized the need for absolute transparency in the ongoing recruitment drive. He prayed to the Court to ensure that the current selection process is conducted in a manner that is “beyond a reasonable doubt” to instill confidence in society, given the history of litigation surrounding SSC recruitments.
Another group of petitioners, primarily fresh candidates, challenged a specific provision in the 2025 rules that grants ten marks for prior teaching experience.
Advocate Billwadal Bhattacharya, representing these freshers, submitted that awarding such weightage for experience places fresh candidates at a disadvantage. He argued that this provision “is hitting directly at the principle of equality as enumerated in Article 14 of the Constitution,” as it prevents a level playing field for all applicants.
Furthermore, it was submitted that the SSC had failed to produce the list of candidates who purportedly received appointments from the 2016 process after the validity of the panel had lapsed.
Court’s Direction
Taking note of the submissions, Justice Amrita Sinha issued a specific direction regarding the 2016 SLST appointments. The Court directed the West Bengal School Service Commission to produce before it the list of candidates who were given appointments in West Bengal government-run and -aided schools after the expiry of the panel for teachers.
This order aims to bring transparency to the allegations that appointments were made for classes 9-10 and 11-12 well after the panels expired in March 2019 and November 2018, respectively.
The Court has fixed the next date of hearing for December 10, where the SSC is expected to comply with the direction and the matter regarding the validity of the 2025 rules will be heard further.
