Kolkata High Court Ruling Leads to Closure of Schools in GTA Hills as 313 Teacher Recruitment Controversy Unfolds

KalimNews, December 17, 2025, Kolkata/ Kalimpong :In a significant development that has led to widespread unrest in the education sector of Darjeeling-Hills, the Central Committee of the Sanyukta Madhyamik Sikshak Sangathan (SMSS), under the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA), has announced a movement following the verdict of the Calcutta High Court. The court’s ruling, which deemed the appointment of 313 schoolteachers in the GTA area as illegal, has prompted the indefinite closure of all schools in the region. This decision also affects ongoing annual exams, results, and academic programs, all of which have been postponed. The teachers' organisation has clarified that it will not be held responsible for any untoward incidents that may occur during the course of the movement.

The ruling from the Calcutta High Court, handed down on December 17, 2025, declared that the regularisation of these 313 volunteer teachers under the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) was illegal. Justice Biswajit Basu, in his judgement, pointed out that the West Bengal government had failed to provide sufficient justification for the recruitment process of these teachers, emphasising that the state’s approval did not hold up to judicial scrutiny as it lacked a lawful and transparent selection procedure. The case arose from a writ petition filed in 2023, which challenged the legality of the appointments of these 313 teachers across government-aided schools under the GTA.

The petitioners argued that the teachers had been regularised without any formal or authorised recruitment process, breaching established norms and rules regarding public employment. This led to the court’s ruling, which declared the appointments invalid and ordered the immediate cessation of salaries for these teachers. In addition to this, the court questioned the educational qualifications of the teachers in question, further underlining the irregularity of the recruitment process. The ruling is seen as a blow to the administrative system in Darjeeling-Hills, particularly considering that allegations of corruption in teacher appointments had long been a contentious issue in state politics.

The controversial recruitment process has been a topic of intense scrutiny for years, particularly in Darjeeling-Hills, where for over 25 years, no formal recruitment procedures, such as written exams or SSC tests, were implemented for teacher appointments. Instead, teachers had been appointed as volunteers, contributing to the ongoing instability and lack of a structured recruitment system. The Central Committee of the Sanyukta Madhyamik Sikshak Sangathan (SMSS) has expressed serious concern over the state of education in the region, noting that qualified teachers have been appointed without any scrutiny, and the entire educational system has been running on temporary staff since 2002.

According to the organisation, the situation has now become even more complicated following the Calcutta High Court's decision, which could have far-reaching implications for both current teachers and future appointments. In protest, the organisation has announced plans to escalate the issue through a movement, which will include the indefinite closure of schools in Darjeeling-Hills, starting from tomorrow. Schools currently conducting annual exams, preparing results, or running academic programs have also been instructed to suspend these activities. The organisation has warned that it will not be responsible for any incidents that may occur should schools defy the closure orders.

Santosh Khadka, the General Secretary, and Vivek Chhetri, the Vice President of the Central Committee of the SMSS, have emphasised that the fault lies not with the teachers but with the administrative mismanagement over the years. They argue that the teachers should not bear the brunt of the administration's failure, which is largely a result of the state and central governments' negligence. The organisation has also raised concerns that the ruling could affect not only current teachers but also retired teachers and those who have been working on a voluntary basis for decades. Additionally, it could pave the way for teachers from other regions to be employed to teach the local mother tongue, further complicating the issue.

As the teachers' organisation steps into the next phase of their protest, they are calling for justice and respect for both the educators and the education system in Darjeeling-Hills. The protests are expected to continue until their demands for a transparent and fair recruitment process are met, and they have vowed to keep schools shut indefinitely until a solution is found. They have also made it clear that any potential violence or disruptions will not be their responsibility.

The ruling also sheds light on broader concerns regarding the teacher recruitment process in West Bengal. In recent times, the state’s education system has come under fire due to allegations of corruption and mismanagement in teacher appointments. A related case, which uncovered a large number of fraudulent applications during the recruitment process, led to the disqualification of 1,327 candidates for providing false information. Many of these candidates had falsely claimed to have the required qualifications and had even used fake caste certificates to secure jobs. These revelations have further added to the public outcry, prompting calls for a thorough investigation into the integrity of the recruitment process.

As the situation continues to develop, the state government faces growing pressure to address these issues, ensuring that the recruitment process becomes more transparent and accountable, and to take responsibility for the administrative failures that have led to the current crisis in Darjeeling-Hills' educational system. The coming weeks will be critical as both the authorities and the protesting teachers brace for the impact of this legal and educational turmoil.