Synopsis
The Calcutta High Court's new division bench prepares to tackle the contentious issue of primary teacher recruitment irregularities in West Bengal, starting May 7. With the fate of thousands of teachers hanging in the balance, this case could reshape the future of education in the state.Key Takeaways
- New bench to handle teacher recruitment case.
- May 7 set for detailed hearings.
- 32,000 teachers' futures uncertain.
- Previous orders led to job cancellations.
- Legal scrutiny on recruitment process.
Kolkata, April 28 (NationPress) A fresh division bench of the Calcutta High Court is set to resume hearings regarding irregularities in the recruitment of primary teachers across various state-run schools in West Bengal. The hearings will commence on May 7, concerning appointments made by the West Bengal Board of Primary Education (WBBPE).
The case was first brought before the division bench comprising Justice Tapabrata Chakraborty and Justice Reetobrata Kumar Mitra on Monday.
In the initial hearing, the division bench scheduled May 7 for a comprehensive hearing.
Justice Chakraborty has directed that the first presentation of the case on May 7 will be made by the legal representative of the WBBPE. Furthermore, he instructed all involved parties to prepare and submit all pertinent documents, referred to as a "paper-book", by that date.
Previously, this matter was examined by a division bench led by Justice Soumen Sen and Justice Smita Das. However, following Justice Sen's recusal from further proceedings earlier this month, the case was passed on to the new bench of Justice Chakraborty and Justice Mitra.
The future of approximately 32,000 primary teachers appointed by the WBBPE, who are currently employed in various state-run schools, hangs in the balance.
In May 2023, a single-judge bench of the Calcutta High Court, presided over by the former Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay, now a BJP Lok Sabha member, ordered the termination of the jobs of these 32,000 primary teachers.
Justice Gangopadhyay's ruling was based on petitions submitted by several disadvantaged candidates, who claimed that many secured job recommendations despite having significantly lower rankings in the recruitment examinations compared to other deprived candidates.
The state government contested that ruling, leading to a referral to the division bench under Justice Sen. With Justice Sen stepping back from the case, it was redirected to the bench of Justice Chakraborty and Justice Mitra.
