In a significant ruling, the Supreme Court of India on Thursday permitted assistant teachers in West Bengal who have not been implicated in any misconduct to retain their positions temporarily, prioritizing the educational needs of students in higher classes. The decision comes amid ongoing controversy and legal proceedings concerning the widespread corruption scandal in teacher recruitment.
The court’s decision aims to stabilize the academic environment for students in Classes 9 to 12 by allowing “untainted” teachers to continue their duties. This interim measure seeks to ensure that students’ education is not disrupted while the state undertakes a comprehensive overhaul of its recruitment process.
However, the court made it clear that no non-teaching staff or teachers identified as involved in corrupt practices will be allowed to remain in their positions. The directive extends to all personnel whose appointments were marred by the scandal.
Furthering its directive, the Supreme Court has mandated the West Bengal government, along with the State Education Board and the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC), to issue a new advertisement for teacher recruitment by May 31, 2025. This advertisement is a part of the court’s broader mandate to ensure a clean and transparent recruitment process, set to be completed by December 31, 2025.
The bench, consisting of Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar, expressed severe criticism of the previous recruitment processes, describing them as “vitiated and tainted beyond resolution.” They emphasized that the integrity of educational recruitment must be restored to maintain public trust and ensure fairness in governmental hiring practices.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee responded critically to the Supreme Court’s ruling, questioning the fairness of the judicial approach compared to other disciplinary actions within the judiciary itself. She highlighted the discrepancy in handling cases of corruption, suggesting that a transfer could have been a more compassionate resolution for the involved staff.
The so-called “school jobs-for-cash” scandal first came to light following discrepancies in the recruitment exams conducted by the WBSSC in 2016 for various teaching and non-teaching positions. The scam involved allegations of manipulated answer sheets, fraudulent merit lists, and bribery, leading to the issuance of more appointment letters than available positions. This scandal has implicated several high-profile political figures and has become one of the most significant corruption cases in the state’s history.
The Calcutta High Court initially cancelled all suspicious appointments in April 2025, which the Supreme Court has now upheld. This decision underscores the judiciary’s stance on maintaining the sanctity and meritocracy of public sector recruitment.
