Bengal Teachers’ Jobs Safe: Calcutta HC Sets Aside Single-Bench Order Canceling 32,000 Appointments

Kolkata: In a major relief for primary school teachers in West Bengal, the Calcutta High Court has overturned a single-bench order that had canceled the appointments of 32,000 teachers. The decision was delivered by a division bench comprising Justices Tapabrata Chakraborty and Ritobrata Kumar Mitra. While the court acknowledged irregularities in some appointments, it ruled that these did not warrant the cancellation of all appointments.

The bench noted that terminating jobs after nearly nine years of service would have severely impacted the teachers and their families. Expressing her satisfaction, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said the decision brings relief to the teachers and their families. “I am very happy that the teachers have received this relief,” she added.

Background of the Case
The appointments in question were made through the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) in 2014. The single-bench, led by Justice Abhijeet Gangopadhyay, had originally canceled all 32,000 appointments on 12 May 2023, citing irregularities. However, the division bench observed that not all appointments were flawed. The CBI, directed by the court to investigate, initially identified irregularities in 264 appointments, followed by 96 additional cases. Considering this, the court ruled that it was inappropriate to nullify the entire selection process.

State Education Minister Welcomes Verdict
West Bengal Education Minister Bratya Basu praised the High Court’s verdict, calling it “a victory for truth” and congratulated the West Bengal Primary Education Board. He affirmed that the jobs of all 32,000 primary school teachers are fully secure and extended his best wishes to the educators.