Bengal faces legal troubles as deadline looms for new teacher recruitment process

The West Bengal government and the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC) face the risk of legal consequences as the deadline for initiating the recruitment process for secondary, higher secondary teachers, and Group 'C' and 'D' non-teaching positions approaches. According to the Supreme Court's order, if the new recruitment process is not initiated by the end of May, the state government could face contempt of court charges.

On April 3, the Supreme Court annulled the 25,753 appointments made in government schools due to irregularities in the selection process. The Court directed the WBSSC to release advertisements for new vacancies by May 31 and to complete the entire recruitment process by December 31. However, with only a few weeks remaining, the WBSSC is reportedly still awaiting specific instructions from the state education department regarding the number of vacant positions that need to be filled.

Legal experts have warned that any further delay in initiating the recruitment process may lead to contempt proceedings against the WBSSC and the state government for failing to comply with the Supreme Court’s order. Officials from the state education department have stated that technical procedures are still being finalized to meet the Supreme Court's requirements, but no clear timeline has been provided for the next steps.

This ongoing issue follows a series of legal battles, with the state government and the WBSSC filing a review petition in the Supreme Court. The petition challenges the annulment of the 25,753 appointments and seeks a reconsideration of the decision. The government is under pressure to act swiftly to avoid further complications as the deadline draws near.