Teacher in Turmoil: Supreme Court Ruling Disrupts Careers, Classrooms Across Bengal

Agencies, April 6, 2025 : Amid the growing chaos following the Supreme Court’s decision to invalidate over 25,000 appointments made by the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC) in 2016, the human cost of the ruling is beginning to emerge. A report published in The Telegraph poignantly highlights the personal and educational toll of the judgment, especially on those considered innocent casualties of a tainted system.

One such story is that of Mirajul Hossain, a 41-year-old assistant teacher of physical science at VIP Nagar High School, described by his peers as “an innocent punished for other people’s crimes.”

A report published in The Telegraph states that Hossain had left a thriving career in private coaching—where he earned over ₹2 lakh a month preparing students for competitive engineering and medical entrance exams—to take up a government-aided teaching post in 2019. The decision, driven by the promise of “honour” and “security,” was heavily influenced by his family of educators.

But everything changed with the Supreme Court’s Thursday order, which labelled the 2016 recruitment process “tainted beyond resolution.” The result: Hossain, along with thousands of others, is now unemployed.

“Mirajul is an exceptional teacher. He goes beyond the textbook. He has instilled a love of the sciences in his students. His departure has caused irreparable damage,”

— Dipen Sahoo, Headmaster, VIP Nagar High School

A report published in The Telegraph states that under Hossain’s guidance, students in Classes IX and X no longer needed private tuition in physical science. Known for his late-night help on WhatsApp and for turning everyday items like balloons and bottles into makeshift lab tools to demonstrate concepts like Boyle’s and Charles’s laws, Hossain wasn’t just a teacher—he was a mentor.

His removal, along with that of two other teachers—of life science and history—has left VIP Nagar High School’s secondary section without a science teacher altogether.

Despite his sudden dismissal, Hossain remains unwavering in his commitment to his students. He has voluntarily offered to take online classes until the school can find a replacement.

“I have a moral responsibility to the students,” Hossain told The Telegraph

The report published in The Telegraph highlights his humility and resilience. “I have not done anything special. A teacher should stoke curiosity in young and impressionable minds. That is what I try to do,” he said.

Hossain’s life has been shaped by adversity. Raised in a family of educators and orphaned young, he pursued a master’s degree in chemistry and spent more than a decade teaching at various coaching centres, including those targeting tribal and underprivileged students through government initiatives.

“My family commands a lot of respect in our village. I cannot let it go to waste. I have to take the selection test again. I have to get my job back,”

— Hossain

Although his former coaching employers are inviting him back to the world of high-paying private education, Hossain insists on reclaiming his position through the State Level Selection Test, determined to prove his merit once more.

The report published in The Telegraph notes that Hossain does not seek to assign blame. While acknowledging the corruption within the WBSSC system, he believes the court’s sweeping decision lacked nuance and fairness.

“The innocent should not have been punished for other people’s crimes,”

— Hossain

As West Bengal navigates the fallout from the Supreme Court's verdict, Hossain’s story serves as a stark reminder that beneath judicial rulings and institutional failures lie real people—dedicated teachers and eager students—whose futures now hang in the balance.