West Bengal Jobs Scam: Supreme Court allows ‘untainted’ teachers to resume work in state schools

NEW DELHI: Ending the plight of the ‘untainted teachers’ protesting against the Supreme Court verdict in the West Bengal school jobs scam, the apex court has announced that the assistant teachers, who have not been found guilty of any wrongdoing can continue their work in state schools, citing academic interest of students in Class 9, and 12.

The court also said that the verdict is not applicable to those teachers or non-teaching staff, identified as ‘tainted’, and they will be not be allowed to remain in their posts. The apex court did not extend the services of grade ‘C’ and ‘D’ employees of the state government run and aided schools, as reported by PTI.

As per the latest directives by the Supreme Court, the West Bengal government, state education board, and the West Bengal Service Commission (WBSSC) have to submit an affidavit before May 31, which will include an advertisement for fresh joining of teachers. They also have to provide a written assurance that the recruitment process will be completed by December 31, 2025.

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The decision by the Supreme Court comes a day after a group of teachers and non-teaching staff, who lost their jobs, following the verdict in the West Bengal School Jobs scam case, staged a protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi.

Under the banner of “Jogyo Shikkok Shikkhika Adhikar Manch,” the ‘untainted’ teachers, who had cleared the exam on merit, demanded to be reinstated to their teaching posts.

"We want to tell the people of the country how we are suffering. The education system is collapsing in our state and our rights are not being protected. The innocent should not be punished, else the future generations will shy away from becoming teachers thinking that it is a tainted profession," one of the teachers said, as reported by PTI.

Recently, overruling the Calcutta High Court’s order, the apex court cancelled the 2016 recruitment of over 25,700 teachers and non-teaching staff for state-run and state-aided schools in West Bengal.