Calcutta HC Cancels Appointment Of 36000 Primary School Teachers Over Corruption

The Calcutta High Court has cancelled the appointment of close to 36,000 candidates who were untrained at the time of recruitment in 2016 recruitment process for the post of primary teachers.

“From the gross illegality in the selection procedure in the recruitment exercise of 2016 conducted by the Board it is clear that the Board and its officials including its former President (who is now in custody after arrest by Enforcement Directorate for transaction of huge money in the recruitment procedure) conducted the whole affair like affair of a local club and now it is gradually coming to light by investigation of Enforcement Directorate that jobs for primary school teachers were actually sold to some candidates who had the money to purchase the employment”, the bench of Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay observed.

The Court noted that the chairman of the Board in his report said that aptitude tests were taken but from the evidence adduced by the interviewers and the candidates it was proved that no aptitude test was taken.

The Court further noted that the West Bengal Board of Primary Education did not give any reply in respect of the allegation of the petitioners in the pleadings as to nonempanelment of 13 reserved category candidates in the panel for general category candidates of those reserved category candidates who got better marks than the general category candidates in open competition.

Considering the facts of the case, the Court ordered thus “The appointment of all 36,000 (thirty six thousand) (more or less) candidates who were untrained at the time of recruitment in 2016 recruitment process conducted by the Board in the post of primary teachers are cancelled for various reasons as have been elaborated above.”

The Court passed these directions in the writ plea filed by petitioners who qualified the Teacher Eligibility Test but did not get an appointment.

Advocate Tarunjyoti Tewari appeared for the petitioners whereas Advocate Sirsanya Bandyopadhyay appeared for the State.

The Court directed the board to arrange for a recruitment exercise for candidates who were untrained at the time of recruitment (including candidates who have obtained training qualification in the meantime) within a period of 3 months from date only for the candidates who participated in 2016 recruitment process.

“The primary teachers who are employed now in Primary Schools against the recommendation of the Board in respect of 2016 selection process shall be allowed to work in the respective primary schools where they are working now for a period of 4 (four) months from date at the remuneration equal to a Para Teacher of Primary School and if any of such teachers are recommended again by the Board after the selection process as has been directed above, those candidates shall work in the Schools where they are working now and they shall get notional benefit of their seniority with no monetary benefit at all but the salary of primary teachers for the coming 4 (four) months shall not be given to them if they are employed again”, the Court said.

Cause Title- Priyanka Naskar & Ors. v. Union of India & Ors.

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