During the proceedings on Tuesday, the Supreme Court criticized the West Bengal government's handling of the school jobs recruitment issue, labeling it as "systemic fraud". The court emphasized that the authorities were obligated to maintain digitized records pertaining to the hiring of 25,753 teachers and non-teaching personnel in government-aided schools across Bengal.
The bench, comprising Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, was addressing petitions challenging the Calcutta High Court's decision to revoke the appointments of over 25,000 teachers and non-teaching staff in Bengal's educational institutions.
In response to the government's assertion that the High Court's action was arbitrary, the Chief Justice expressed concern over the erosion of public trust resulting from such incidents. He emphasized the significance of public sector employment as a means of social advancement and questioned the integrity of the system when even these appointments are tainted.
The Supreme Court emphasized the government's responsibility to oversee the recruitment process, pointing out the necessity of maintaining accurate records, particularly in digital format. The bench criticized the apparent lack of data management and supervision, highlighting the government's failure to ensure transparency and accountability.
While refraining from issuing an interim order to halt the implementation of the Calcutta High Court's ruling, the Supreme Court instructed that no immediate action be taken by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) against officials allegedly involved in approving additional job positions until the next hearing.
In April, the Calcutta High Court nullified the appointments made through the 2016 School Service Commission, ordering affected individuals to repay their entire salaries along with a 12% annual interest rate. Additionally, the court directed the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC) to initiate a fresh recruitment process and instructed the CBI to continue its investigation into the matter.
