New Delhi: In a major setback for the West Bengal government, the Supreme Court on Thursday backed the Calcutta High Court’s decision to scrap 24,000 teaching and non-teaching staff appointments made in 2016 by the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC) due to a massive “jobs-for-cash” scam.
A bench led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna and Justice PV Sanjiv Kumar found the recruitment process deeply flawed, citing “manipulation and fraud” that stripped it of credibility. The court ruled that the tainted appointments must be revoked, stating,
“The entire selection process was vitiated by fraud. There is no reason to interfere with the High Court’s order.”
However, the court softened the blow for affected candidates, clarifying that they would not have to return salaries already received. It also directed that a fresh recruitment process be completed within three months, allowing clean candidates to reapply with possible relaxations.
Scam Background
The 2016 recruitment drive for state-aided schools saw over 23 lakh applicants competing for 24,000 positions. Allegations surfaced that OMR sheets were manipulated to favor certain candidates. The Calcutta High Court, in April 2024, canceled all appointments, citing a lack of transparency in the evaluation process and ordered a re-evaluation of all answer sheets. It also instructed the CBI to continue probing the scam.
Political Fallout
The scandal has ensnared several high-profile figures, including former Education Minister Partha Chatterjee and TMC MLAs Manik Bhattacharya and Jiban Krishna Saha, who are currently in jail. The West Bengal government had challenged the High Court’s order in the Supreme Court, arguing that the mass cancellation would disrupt schools. However, the apex court dismissed these concerns, emphasizing the need for a fair and transparent recruitment process.
This verdict reinforces judicial scrutiny over corruption in government recruitments and mandates a fresh hiring drive to fill the vacancies lawfully.
