Calcutta HC overturns controversial Bengal job annulment — 32,000 teachers rejoice!

The division bench, comprising Justices Tapabrata Chakraborty and Ritabrata Kumar Mitra, reinstated the sacked teachers, noting that canceling their appointments after nine years of service would have caused significant negative consequences. The court also observed that the annulment would have unfairly impacted eligible candidates.

Reacting to the ruling, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said, “We respect the judicial process. I am happy that our brothers and sisters have got their jobs back.”

State Education Minister Bratya Basu congratulated the teachers, tweeting, “In the context of the judgment delivered today by the Honourable High Court's Division Bench, I extend my congratulations to the Primary Education Board... The jobs of 32,000 primary school teachers remain fully secure. My best wishes also to the teachers. Truth has triumphed.”

The case originated from a 2023 order by then single-judge Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay—now a BJP MP—who directed the cancellation of appointments following petitions alleging large-scale recruitment irregularities.

Petitioners had claimed several lower-ranked candidates were appointed ahead of higher-ranked applicants.

The state government challenged the single-bench order before the division bench. Initially, the matter was assigned to Justices Soumen Sen and Smita Das De, but after Justice Sen recused himself, it was reassigned to Justices Chakraborty and Mitra.

Earlier, on April 3, the Supreme Court had canceled appointments of nearly 26,000 teaching and non-teaching staff recruited through the School Service Commission (SSC), citing corruption and flawed selection processes.

The bench of Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar had ruled that the recruitment process was “vitiated and tainted by fraud.”