SSC: High Court seeks detailed list of 1806 tainted candidates

MP | 9 Jan 2026 | Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court on Wednesday directed the West Bengal School Service Commission (SSC) to file a fresh and more detailed report on 1,806 tainted candidates whose appointments are part of the 25,753 school jobs invalidated by the Supreme Court of India last year. Justice Amrita Sinha, while taking on record a report submitted by the SSC, noted that the list lacked crucial information needed to properly identify the candidates. 

Though the report mentioned roll numbers, names, subjects, parents’ names and dates of birth, it failed to disclose the category under which the candidates were selected and later found tainted.

The court also pointed out that the list did not mention the schools or districts where the candidates were appointed following the first School Level Selection Test (SLST) of 2016. Directing the SSC to publish a revised list with all relevant details, Justice Sinha said incomplete disclosure could allow tainted candidates to escape scrutiny and take part in the ongoing fresh recruitment process. The court fixed February 11 for the next hearing.

Referring to an earlier order dated November 19, 2025, the judge reiterated that publication of the list was meant to ensure clear identification and transparency. Counsel for the SSC informed the court that steps were being taken to publish an updated list. 

The commission is currently conducting fresh recruitment through the second SLST, 2025, for teaching and non-teaching posts in government-run and government-aided schools. Last April, the Supreme Court upheld a Calcutta High Court ruling that invalidated the appointments of 25,753 candidates, holding that the recruitment process was vitiated by widespread irregularities.