In a significant development, the Supreme Court of India on Monday criticized the state of West Bengal over the alleged malpractice in the recruitment process of over 25,000 teachers and non-teaching staff in government and aided schools. The bench, led by Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar, was hearing a batch of pleas against the Calcutta High Court's decision to invalidate these appointments due to rampant corruption and irregularities.
The case stems from the controversial 2016 recruitment process conducted by the West Bengal School Service Commission (SSC). Despite 23 lakh candidates appearing for the exam to fill 24,640 positions, a total of 25,753 appointment letters were issued. The high court’s decision last April, which nullified these appointments, cited severe irregularities like OMR sheet tampering and rank manipulation.
During the proceedings, one of the lawyers representing petitioners highlighted that the entire selection process was "vitiated" due to widespread malpractice. He further accused the state government of attempting to protect illegal appointments, arguing that the SSC failed to distinguish between legitimate and fraudulent candidates. Another lawyer described the issue as a "large institutional criminal conspiracy," asserting that the state's stand on the number of tainted appointees remained unclear.
The Supreme Court had previously stayed the high court’s order, allowing the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to continue its probe. However, it warned that individuals found to be appointed illegally would be required to refund their salaries. The court emphasized that the authorities must maintain accurate and digitized records of the appointments, terming the recruitment scam a “systemic fraud.”
This scandal further highlights the failure of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) government in West Bengal, which has been embroiled in multiple corruption allegations. The alleged malpractices in the recruitment process have not only undermined public trust but also jeopardized the livelihoods of thousands of innocent candidates who were affected by this dubious selection process.
