Bengal govt failed to furnish details of ineligible candidates: Ailing teacher whose job wasn't scrapped

Kolkata: School teacher Soma Das, whose job was not invalidated by the Supreme Court considering her serious medical illness, alleged that the West Bengal government and the SSC failed to furnish exact details before the judiciary about the total number of ineligible candidates.

The apex court on Thursday invalidated the appointment of 25,753 teachers and other staff in state-run and state-aided schools in West Bengal, terming their selection process "vitiated and tainted". It, however, gave relaxation for employees such as Das, who are suffering from serious illnesses, on humanitarian grounds, asserting they would remain in the job.

Speaking to PTI, Das, who is suffering from cancer, said, "The inability of the SSC and the state government to furnish appropriate details before the Calcutta High Court or later, Supreme Court, in hearing after hearing, about the exact number of candidates who allegedly got jobs through unfair means finally led to today's situation." "I had also been present in several hearings related to the case and saw how the judges had tried to save the jobs of deserving qualified candidates," she added.

Stating that the onus lies with the state authorities, Das said, "They failed to present the case of the deserving candidates in a comprehensive manner." Das thanked the Supreme Court "for looking at my issue from a different perspective", apart from the fact that she had deservedly got appointed to the job on her merit after qualifying in the 2016 SSC exams.

"Earlier, the Calcutta High Court, and now the Supreme Court, looked at my situation from a different perspective. I thank them for that," she added.

She, however, said, "My heart goes out for those who lost their jobs for no fault on their part." About the court's directive to conduct a fresh selection process within three months, she said that many of the candidates have crossed the age bar of 30 years.

"Is it possible for them to sit for exams again at such an age? I fully empathise with them," she said.

An apex court bench comprising Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar upheld a Calcutta High Court verdict dated April 22, 2024, annulling the appointments.

The top court also ordered the state government to initiate a fresh selection process and complete it within three months.

It, however, made relaxation for the disabled employees on humanitarian grounds, saying they would remain in the job.

The bench fixed the West Bengal government's plea challenging the high court direction for a CBI probe for hearing on April 4. On February 10, the top court reserved its judgement on a batch of petitions in the matter.