Calcutta High Court Restores Jobs of 32,000 Primary Teachers, Overturning Earlier Ruling Amid TET Recruitment Controversy

Truth Prevails: Jobs of 32,000 Primary Teachers Secure, Says Education Minister on Cal HC Division Bench Order

PTI, 03 December 2025, Kolkata :  Hailing the Calcutta High Court division bench order, which set aside a single bench ruling that annulled the appointments of 32,000 primary school teachers in West Bengal, State Education Minister Bratya Basu on Wednesday said truth has prevailed, as their jobs remained “safe and secure”.

In a post on X, Basu also congratulated the West Bengal Primary Education Board.

“The jobs of 32,000 primary school teachers remain fully secure. My best wishes to the teachers. Truth has triumphed,” the minister said.

The bench, presided over by Justice Tapabrata Chakraborty, on Wednesday said it was not inclined to uphold the single bench order, as irregularities had not been proven in all the recruitments.

The court maintained that the termination of employment after nine years would have a great adverse impact on the primary teachers and their families.

KalimNews, 03 December 2025, Kolkata :  In a significant turn of events, the Calcutta High Court on Wednesday provided much-needed relief to around 32,000 primary teachers in West Bengal, setting aside a 2023 decision that had annulled their appointments. The teachers, who were recruited through the Teachers' Eligibility Test (TET) 2014, had been anxiously awaiting the court's judgment following a ruling earlier this year that cancelled their jobs on allegations of corruption and irregularities in the recruitment process.

The bench, comprising Justices Tapabrata Chakraborty and Reetobrata Kumar Mitra, ruled that while there were allegations of malpractice during the 2014 TET process, there was insufficient evidence to justify the mass termination of the teachers' services. The court highlighted that the corruption claims, though serious, had not been substantiated to the extent that would warrant such a drastic measure.

In its judgment, the division bench stressed that a job taken away after nearly a decade of service would cause "insurmountable difficulty" for the affected individuals. "There must have been a possibility of systemic malice, but the assessment of data does not point to the same," the judges observed. They further added that services could not be terminated solely on the basis of pending criminal proceedings unless clear and conclusive evidence of wrongdoing had been established.

The earlier order to dismiss the teachers was passed by a single bench led by Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay, who is now a Member of Parliament from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Justice Gangopadhyay had stated that no aptitude tests had been conducted for the candidates, that there were irregularities in the interview process, and that jobs had been sold to corrupt candidates with the means to pay for their appointments. The single bench also observed that there was no formal engagement letter for interviewers or any guidelines on how marks were awarded.

However, the division bench disagreed, asserting that there was no direct evidence proving that candidates who had paid money were given preferential treatment during the interview process. The judges made it clear that while irregularities were identified in the process, including the granting of grace marks to 264 candidates and the termination of 96 candidates who failed to secure qualifying marks, this did not justify cancelling the appointments of all 32,000 teachers.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), tasked with investigating the recruitment process, had identified 264 candidates with irregularities, but the court noted that no evidence had been presented indicating that the awarding of marks had been influenced by external factors. Moreover, 96 candidates identified by the agency as having failed the qualifying marks were reinstated by a Supreme Court order, further supporting the bench’s conclusion that the entire process should not be invalidated.

The decision has been hailed as a victory for the affected teachers and their families, many of whom had spent years in service, some for nearly a decade. Outside the courtroom, emotions ran high as many teachers broke down in tears upon hearing the verdict. "Today, finally, I can sleep in peace. This is a huge relief for my family and me," said Arpita Ganguli, one of the affected teachers. Others expressed similar sentiments of joy and relief, with teachers exchanging hugs and distributing sweets in celebration.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee reacted positively to the court’s ruling, calling it a "humanitarian" relief for thousands of families. "We respect the judicial process. I am happy that our brothers and sisters have got their jobs back," Banerjee said in a statement. The Education Minister, Bratya Basu, also welcomed the verdict, describing it as a triumph of truth and fairness. "The jobs of 32,000 primary school teachers remain fully secure. My best wishes to the teachers. Truth has triumphed," Basu added.

The case had its origins in 2023 when a group of unsuccessful candidates, led by Justice Gangopadhyay, challenged the recruitment process on the grounds of alleged corruption and fraud. They petitioned the court to annul the appointments, arguing that the TET process was tainted by irregularities. This led to the single bench’s order, which was later contested by the affected teachers.

The case had garnered significant attention, especially in the wake of the Supreme Court's decision to terminate the jobs of nearly 26,000 candidates from the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC) recruitment in April 2023, citing similar allegations of a flawed process. The primary teachers, who had been living under the shadow of uncertainty for months, feared they would suffer a similar fate. However, the Calcutta High Court’s ruling on Wednesday ended the prolonged anxiety for thousands of families across the state.

For the primary teachers, the court's decision is not just a legal victory but also a personal triumph. "We have fought for two years, and today we won," said Afsar Ali, a teacher from the region. "It is a huge relief that the mark of tainted or unqualified teachers is no longer associated with us."

As teachers rejoiced outside the court, many took a moment to reflect on the long and stressful journey they had endured. "It has been two years of sleepless nights and constant fear. But today, justice has been done, and I can finally go back to my classroom with my head held high," said Soumik Kumar Bandopadhyay, another teacher who had been affected by the earlier ruling.

The court's verdict has set the stage for the teachers to resume their work and rebuild their lives, free from the shadow of legal uncertainty that had loomed over them for so long. With the reinstatement of their jobs, the teachers can now return to their classrooms and continue their work with the confidence that they have won a hard-fought battle for justice.

This ruling marks a significant moment in the ongoing legal battles surrounding recruitment processes in West Bengal. It serves as a reminder of the importance of fair and transparent recruitment practices in the state. While the controversy surrounding the TET 2014 recruitment may not be fully resolved, the judgment has provided a much-needed sense of closure for the affected teachers and their families.