The Calcutta High Court recently made a significant decision regarding the 2016 recruitment panel for school teachers organized by the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC). This decision comes in light of allegations of a job scam surrounding the recruitment process.
Background
The 2016 recruitment panel for school teachers, conducted by the WBSSC, has been cancelled entirely by the Calcutta High Court. This decision affects approximately 24,000 job appointments made through the panel.
Court Ruling
A division bench comprising Justices Debangsu Basak and Md Shabbar Rashidi presided over the case. They declared that individuals who were appointed as school teachers through illegal means, such as submitting blank OMR sheets, must return their salaries within four weeks. The responsibility of collecting these salaries lies with the district magistrate.
Consequences
The cancelled recruitment panel includes appointments of both teaching and non-teaching staff for various state-government-sponsored and aided schools in Bengal. Additionally, the court has ordered the re-evaluation of approximately 23 lakh OMR sheets from the recruitment entrance exam conducted in 2016.
Further Actions
Despite requests for a stay on the order, the bench rejected them. Instead, it directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to conduct further investigation into the appointment process. The CBI has been given three months to submit a report on its findings.
Impact
More than 23 lakh candidates appeared for the 2016 State Level Selection Test (SLST) conducted by the WBSSC. This test was held for over 24,000 vacant posts in state-sponsored and aided schools. The cancellation of the recruitment panel has left many job aspirants in anticipation of the next steps.
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