The Calcutta High Court has overturned a single bench order that had cancelled the appointments of around 32,000 primary teachers in West Bengal, linked to the TET recruitment scam. The division bench of Justices Tapabrata Chakraborty and Reetobroto Kumar Mitra passed the ruling, upholding an earlier 2023 decision by Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay, who is now a BJP Lok Sabha member.
West Bengal Education Minister Bratya Basu, hailing the HC order, said, “I extend my congratulations to the Primary Education Board. The judgment of the High Court’s Single Bench has been annulled. The jobs of 32,000 primary school teachers remain fully secure. My best wishes also to the teachers. Truth has triumphed."
“After being in service for nine years, if they are removed now, there could be adverse impact on the families," the bench observed. The ruling brings relief to thousands of teachers who have been serving in state-run and state-aided primary schools, as well as their families who faced uncertainty due to the potential job losses.
Justice Gangopadhyay’s 2023 order had annulled the appointments of 32,000 teachers, citing manipulation in the recruitment process following the 2014 Teachers Eligibility Test. At the time, 42,500 primary teachers were appointed, but 32,000 of these were challenged and subsequently cancelled. Justice Gangopadhyay had instructed the state government to conduct a fresh recruitment process within three months.
The matter was later reviewed by a division bench led by Justice Soumen Sen, who recused himself for personal reasons, and the case was subsequently placed before the present bench.
Earlier, a division bench of Justice Subrata Talukdar and Justice Supratim Bhattacharya had stayed the single bench order and granted the state six months to complete a fresh recruitment process. The state had moved the Supreme Court against the stay, which upheld the interim relief and remitted the case back to the high court for final hearing.
The verdict comes ahead of the West Bengal Assembly elections next year and provides relief to the ruling Trinamool Congress, which has faced scrutiny over corruption scandals in the education sector. The decision also contrasts with the Supreme Court’s March ruling, which had invalidated appointments of over 25,000 teaching and non-teaching staff in government-run schools following the State Level Selection Test.
With this judgment, the 32,000 primary teachers can continue in their posts, ensuring stability in the primary education sector and providing reassurance to thousands of families across the state.
