The Supreme Court’s recent decision to uphold the Calcutta High Court’s cancellation of 25,753 teacher and non-teaching staff appointments has intensified political tensions in West Bengal. The Court found the 2016 recruitment process by the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC) to be “vitiated and tainted by fraud,” leading to the termination of these appointments.
In response, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed disagreement with the ruling on humanitarian grounds, stating her intention to support the affected candidates. She announced plans to meet with them on April 7 at Netaji Indoor Stadium and challenged the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), asserting her readiness to face arrest for her support.
The BJP has seized upon the verdict to criticize Banerjee’s administration. BJP state president and Union Minister of State Dr. Sukanta Majumdar attributed the corruption in teacher recruitment directly to the Chief Minister and demanded her resignation, citing the ruling as evidence of widespread malpractice under her governance.
Legal experts have weighed in on the situation, noting the unfortunate impact on genuinely qualified candidates. Senior advocate Bikas Ranjan Bhattacharya highlighted the pervasive corruption that made it impossible to distinguish between eligible and ineligible appointees, necessitating the blanket cancellation.
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The Supreme Court has mandated a fresh selection process to be completed within three months, aiming to restore integrity to the recruitment system. This development underscores the critical need for transparency and fairness in public sector appointments.
