Kolkata: In a major reprieve for thousands of anxious teachers, the Calcutta High Court on Wednesday directed the West Bengal government to maintain the status quo on the appointments of around 32,000 primary teachers whose jobs were under threat following allegations of irregularities in the 2016 recruitment panel.
A division bench of Justice Harish Tandon and Justice Rabindranath Samanta issued the interim order while hearing a batch of petitions challenging a single-judge ruling that had cancelled appointments of over 1,000 candidates for alleged malpractice. The petitioners argued that punishing the entire panel would be unfair to genuine candidates who cleared the examination transparently.
Senior counsel appearing for the teachers submitted that lakhs of families would be devastated if appointments made between 2016 and 2023 were scrapped en masse. The bench agreed that until the matter is fully adjudicated, no teacher currently working should be removed from service.
The court has fixed the next hearing after three weeks and asked the state to file a detailed affidavit explaining the extent of irregularities and why the entire panel cannot be segregated instead of blanket cancellation.
The development has brought instant relief across rural Bengal, where these teachers form the backbone of government primary education. Many had been protesting outside schools and at Writers’ Buildings for weeks.
Education Minister Bratya Basu welcomed the order, saying the government never intended to victimise honest teachers. For now, 32,000 classrooms will continue to echo with familiar voices – at least until the gavel falls again.