SC Upholds Calcutta HC Ruling: 25,000 Bengal School Jobs Scrapped

In a significant blow to the West Bengal government, the Supreme Court has upheld the Calcutta High Court’s decision to cancel over 25,000 teaching and non-teaching appointments made by the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC) in 2016. The appointments were annulled due to alleged irregularities in the recruitment process, linked to a school jobs-for-cash scam.

Supreme Court Upholds Calcutta HC Verdict, Voids 25,000 School Appointments in Bengal

A bench comprising Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna and Justice PV Sanjiv Kumar ruled that the selection process was tainted by fraud and manipulation, making the appointments legally unsustainable. "The entire process stands discredited due to corruption and malpractice. Tainted candidates must be removed, as these appointments were a result of fraud," the court observed, as reported by Bar and Bench.

Despite upholding the High Court's ruling, the Supreme Court allowed those already employed under the annulled selection process to retain their earned salaries. Additionally, the bench directed that a fresh recruitment process be completed within three months, allowing relaxations for candidates not implicated in wrongdoing.

Political Fallout and BJP’s Reaction

Following the verdict, BJP leader Amit Malviya termed the ruling a "crushing defeat" for West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, holding her administration responsible for the recruitment scam. He highlighted the role of former Education Minister Partha Chatterjee, who was arrested after large sums of cash were recovered in connection with the scam. Malviya demanded accountability from Banerjee, insisting that she should face trial for the corruption that affected thousands of job seekers.

The Bengal Jobs-For-Cash Scam

The recruitment scandal, which surfaced after the 2016 hiring process, involved allegations of unfair selection practices in the appointment of school staff. Over 23 lakh candidates had appeared for the examination, but complaints later emerged about manipulated answer sheet evaluations. The Calcutta High Court had initially scrapped all disputed appointments, ordered salary recoveries, and directed a CBI probe into the matter.

With the Supreme Court now reinforcing the High Court’s decision, the state faces a major administrative and political challenge, as authorities must now conduct a fair and transparent hiring process to fill the annulled positions.