Calcutta HC begins hearing on pleas against termination of 32,000 primary teachers

After the cancellation of jobs of over 25,000 teachers (Class 9, 10, 11 and 12) and non-teaching staff (Group C and D), the Calcutta High Court on Tuesday heard a crucial case relating to the termination of around 32,000 primary school jobs in West Bengal.

 

The matter stems from the 2014 Teacher Eligibility Test (TET), in which approximately 1.25 lakh candidates qualified. In 2016, the West Bengal Board of Primary Education (WBBPE) appointed 42,949 candidates, but allegations of recruitment irregularities led to legal challenges.

 

In May 2023, the jobs of over 32,000 teachers were cancelled by a single bench ruling, which was later stayed by a division bench. The case then reached the Supreme Court, which sent it back to the HC, where it underwent bench reassignment before finally being heard on Tuesday.

 

During the day’s hearing before the division bench of Justices Tapabrata Chakraborty and Reetobroto Kumar Mitra, the WBBPE argued that corruption claims were speculative and lacked solid evidence. The board contended that no concrete evidence has been found to support claims that jobs were exchanged for money.  

 

The board also maintained that awarding higher marks alone should not be grounds for cancelling the entire recruitment process. The WBBPE also asserted that the interview process had been conducted in full compliance with the recruitment rules in place in 2016.

 

The state government added that the original petition did not seek terminations but demanded opportunities for trained candidates while alleging that untrained individuals had been hired.

 

Following submissions from both the WBBPE and the state, the two-judge division bench at the HC stated that the case hearing would resume after the summer vacation.

 

The case is of high significance as after the dismissal of over 25,000 education workers from high schools, another mass termination in primary schools could severely disrupt the education system and pose major political challenges for the Trinamool Congress ahead of the next year’s assembly elections.

India