Kolkata, Nov 28 (IANS) The Calcutta High Court on Friday questioned the basis on which the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC) determined the “untainted” teachers from the commission’s 2016 panel, which would be deemed eligible for participation in the fresh recruitment of secondary and higher secondary teachers this year.

In April this year, a division bench of the Supreme Court cancelled the WBSSC’s entire 2016 panel of around 26,000 school jobs and ordered that while “untainted” teachers would be allowed to participate in the fresh recruitment process in 2025, under no circumstance “tainted” teachers, who have been proven beyond doubt of getting teaching jobs paying money should be allowed to participate in the fresh recruitment process.

Accordingly, in September this year, he WBSSC conducted written examinations separately for fresh recruitment for secondary and higher secondary teachers, and recently, the results of both the written examinations were declared.

However, after lists of candidates qualifying for the interview in case of higher secondary teachers’ recruitment were published, a petition was filed at the Calcutta High Court’s single-judge bench of Justice Amrita Sinha, alleging that some “tainted” teachers from the 2016 panel have qualified for the interview.

He alleged that this was in clear violation of the apex court order in April this year barring “tainted” teachers from participating in the fresh recruitment process.

The matter came up for hearing at Justice Sinha’s bench on Friday in the second half, and during the hearing, Justice Sinha questioned the basis on which WBSSC determined the “untainted” but job-losing teachers from the commission’s 2016 panel would be deemed as eligible for participation in the fresh recruitment process.

Justice Sinha also raised the critical question on the basis on which WBSSC will determine which candidates will be eligible for the 10-mark weightage criterion for past teaching experience.

She also said that, apparently, it seemed that several eligible candidates were deprived of participating in the fresh recruitment process because of new rules introduced in the fresh recruitment process.

However, her bench did not give any specific direction on this count.

The next date of hearing will be on December 1, when the counsels of the state government and WBSSC will present their arguments in the matter.

–IANS

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