In a significant development, the Supreme Court of India has firmly declined to reconsider its verdict that led to the cancellation of a massive 25,753 teaching and non-teaching staff appointments made by the West Bengal Central School Service Commission (WBCSSC). The apex court made it clear that it would not interfere with the ongoing fresh recruitment process mandated to fill these posts.
Court's Stern Stance on Review Plea
A two-judge bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi heard the plea, which was filed by the husband of a candidate who lost her job after the 2016 selection panel was scrapped. This cancellation was initially ordered by the Calcutta High Court and later upheld by the Supreme Court. While acknowledging that some innocent candidates were adversely affected by the wholesale cancellation, Justice Surya Kant observed that if they were genuinely meritorious, they would succeed in the new recruitment drive and be re-employed.
The bench explicitly refused to entertain the review petition. Justice Kant noted that the petitioner was free to approach the Calcutta High Court, where a multitude of issues related to the fresh selection process are already pending adjudication.
Timeline and Conditions for Fresh Recruitment
The Supreme Court has set a strict deadline for the completion of the new hiring process. As per its order dated April 3, the entire fresh recruitment exercise must be finalized by December 31 of this year. The court had earlier issued a crucial directive, specifying that no candidate whose appointment was found to be tainted in the previous scandal-ridden process should be allowed to slip through in the new rounds "under any pretext."
Legal Challenges Plague the New Process
The path to fresh recruitment has been far from smooth, encountering several legal hurdles. After the written examinations were conducted, numerous disputes arose regarding the interpretation of the 2025 rules governing the process. These matters are now pending before a bench led by Justice Amrita Sinha at the Calcutta High Court.
The key issues under judicial scrutiny include:
- Eligibility criteria concerning age limits.
- The allocation of marks for prior job experience.
- Whether experience gained in part-time roles or private schools should be considered for awarding experience marks.
This complex web of litigation underscores the challenges faced by the WBCSSC in conducting a transparent and legally sound recruitment process to fill the thousands of vacant positions in West Bengal's central schools.
