The Calcutta High Court on Wednesday directed the West Bengal School Service Commission (SSC) to complete the recruitment process of 14,052 candidates for the post of assistant teachers in state government-sponsored and funded upper primary schools within 12 weeks. A division bench of Justice Tapabrata Chakraborty and Justice Partha Sarathi Chatterjee delivered the verdict after hearing 36 appeals arising from various orders of the single bench challenging the appointment process through the State Level Selection Test (SLST), 2016. The court directed the SSC to prepare and publish the merit list of the dossier and panel of 14,052 candidates within four weeks from the date of the order.
The division bench directed that thereafter, within a period of four weeks, the SSC shall conduct counselling and recommend the 14,052 candidates who appeared in the personality test. The court directed that after such recommendation, in accordance with law, the competent authority shall issue appointment letters to such candidates within a period of four weeks.
The selection process of these candidates was challenged before the Division Bench through 36 appeals against SLS for the recruitment of Assistant Teachers (except Physical Education and Labour) in Government aided/sponsored schools except in hilly areas. The issue arose from orders of a single judge in various writ petitions dating back to 2016.
SLST 2016 was conducted as per West Bengal School Service Commission (Selection for Appointment of Teachers to Upper Primary Level in Schools) Rules, 2016. The interview list was released on 24 August 2019 and merit list on 4 October 2019.
The selection process faced challenges through several writ petitions before a single bench, which quashed the entire process and directed the SSC to conduct a fresh selection process for all candidates found eligible as per the rules. The commission was also directed to verify the validity of Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) certificates, educational qualifications and professional qualifications as per the rules.
Subsequently, the SSC published a fresh interview list in June 2021, which revealed a total of 14,339 final vacancies, excluding the 10 per cent reserved for para-teachers. Being dissatisfied with the similar orders and decisions in other writ petitions, the present appeals were filed before the Division Bench.
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