West Bengal Govt Challenges HC Order Barring ‘Tainted’ Candidates from WBSSC Recruitment; Next Hearing Wednesday
The West Bengal government has filed an appeal before a division bench of the Calcutta High Court against a single-judge order that prohibits candidates previously involved in recruitment irregularities from participating in the new hiring process by the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC).
On Monday, Justice Saugata Bhattacharyya ruled that individuals linked to past recruitment scams are ineligible for the current selection process, citing a directive from the Supreme Court. However, the state government and WBSSC argued that the apex court only withheld certain relaxations and did not explicitly disqualify such candidates from reapplying.
Challenging the interpretation, the state also invoked Article 20(2) of the Constitution, which protects individuals from being penalized twice for the same offense (double jeopardy). They contended that both terminating services and banning reapplication constitutes dual punishment. The matter will be heard next on Wednesday.
Petitioners Seek Changes in WBSSC Recruitment Rules
WBSSC Recruitment: Petitioners Challenge Age Limit, Marking Scheme in HC; Key Hearing Wednesday
In a separate development, a group of petitioners—mainly candidates from the 2016 waiting list—have approached a division bench of the Calcutta High Court, contesting parts of the single-judge order that refused to amend the revised recruitment rules issued by the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC).
The petitioners raised two major concerns:
- Upper Age Limit: They have demanded the removal of the 40-year age ceiling for eligibility, citing unfair exclusion of experienced candidates affected by the 2016 recruitment irregularities.
- Revised Marking Scheme: Under the new rules, the weightage of the written exam has been increased from 55 to 60 marks, while marks for academic qualifications have been reduced from 35 to 10. An additional 10 marks each are now assigned to teaching experience and a “lecture demonstration,” with interviews continuing to carry 10 marks.
The petitioners argue that these changes severely disadvantage candidates previously denied employment due to the scam, as their evaluation is now effectively based on 90 marks instead of the earlier 100.
The matter was heard by a division bench comprising Justice Soumen Sen and Justice Smita Das De on Tuesday, with further proceedings scheduled for Wednesday. The verdict is expected to have a significant impact on the long-disputed WBSSC recruitment process.
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Source: Moneycontrol
