School Job Scam: Number less, but name on 'top' in the merit list... What is West Bengal teacher recruitment scam, in which 25000 teachers lost their jobs?
School Job Scam Explained: More than 23 lakh people had applied for the recruitment to the post of teaching and non-teaching staff in schools through 'State Level Selection Test'.
West Bengal Job Scam: Calcutta High Court on Monday (April 22) canceled all the appointments made to teaching and non-teaching posts in schools sponsored and aided by the West Bengal government. In 2016, recruitment in schools was done through 'State Level Selection Test'. The court has entrusted the investigation of this case, known as teacher recruitment scam, to the CBI, which is going to detect anomalies in the appointments.
The bench of Justice Debangsu Basak and Justice Mohammad Shabbar Rashidi has asked the CBI to investigate the case and submit its report within the coming three months. The court has directed the 'West Bengal School Service Commission' (WSSC) to start the appointment process afresh.
Due to the decision of Calcutta High Court to cancel the recruitment, 25,753 teachers have lost their jobs in Bengal. In 2016, more than 23 lakh candidates had applied for more than 25 thousand vacant posts in Bengal. In such a situation, let us know what this West Bengal teacher recruitment scam is.
What is teacher recruitment scam?
The West Bengal teacher recruitment scam is linked to government sponsored and aided schools. Irregularities were found during the recruitment of teachers and Group C and Group D staff in these schools. It was in 2014 when a notification was issued for the appointment of teachers through 'State Level Selection Test' (SLST). However, recruitment started two years later in 2016. At that time TMC leader Partha Chatterjee was the Education Minister of West Bengal.
Immediately after the recruitment started, allegations of irregularities started rising. People started demanding investigation into the recruitment process by filing petitions in the Calcutta High Court. According to the Indian Express report, the petitioners alleged that the candidates who got less marks are at the top of the merit list. It was also alleged that there are some candidates who did not even apply for recruitment, but have received appointment letters.
Scam also happened in recruitment of non teaching staff
At the same time, there was another case related to teacher recruitment scam, which was not related to teachers but to non-teaching staff. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's government issued a notification through the School Service Commission (SSC) for the recruitment of 13,000 Group D employees in government or aided schools in 2016. The tenure of the panel which was entrusted with the responsibility of recruitment to these posts ended in 2019 itself.
However, several petitions alleged that the recruitments continued even after the tenure of the panel had ended. According to petitions filed in the Calcutta High Court, at least 25 such appointments were made through the West Bengal SSC. The Indian Express reported that the petitioners claimed that around 500 people were appointed illegally.
At the same time, the High Court took all the petitions together and then started hearing the case. It ordered CBI to investigate the matter and asked it to submit its investigation report. CBI included all the information in its report and submitted it to the court. The hearing in the teacher recruitment scam was completed on March 20 itself. After this, while giving the verdict on Monday, the court canceled the recruitments.
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Tags:
TMC
West Bengal
Mamata Banerjee
School Job Scam