In a major relief for thousands of assistant teachers in West Bengal, the Supreme Court on Thursday ruled that those not found guilty of irregularities in the controversial 2016 recruitment can continue teaching—in the interest of students.
A bench led by Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar clarified that this order applies only to assistant teachers for Classes IX-X and XI-XII, excluding Group C and D staff, where “large-scale bungling” was established.
“We are inclined to accept the prayer as it relates to the assistant teachers,” the bench noted, permitting their continued employment until a new recruitment is completed.
The Court has directed the West Bengal government to initiate a fresh recruitment drive by May 31 and complete it by December 31, 2025. This directive follows the Court’s April 3 verdict, which had cancelled the appointments of over 25,000 teaching and non-teaching staff after it found serious irregularities in the 2016 School Service Commission (SSC) recruitment.
The apex court had earlier ruled that manipulations in the recruitment process had vitiated the entire selection, thereby making all appointments invalid. The scandal has drawn widespread criticism and political attacks, especially from the BJP, which accused Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s government of orchestrating a “recruitment scam.”
Many affected teachers, however, argued that they were innocent victims and blamed the SSC’s failure to identify fraudulent candidates. In recent days, hundreds of these “untainted” teachers have staged sit-in protests demanding justice and reinstatement.
Mamata’s Support
Last week, CM Mamata Banerjee met with the dismissed teaching and non-teaching staff, vowing to stand by them and restore their dignity. “I will do everything to support those who lost their jobs unfairly,” she said during a public address.
This Supreme Court order now provides hope to many of these educators who have been fighting to prove their innocence and continue serving in classrooms
