Can those ‘tainted’ write test: HC; court seeks explanation from SSC, government
Telegraph | 2 July 2025
The high court on Tuesday directed the school service commission (SSC) and the state government to explain by next Monday the need for a tweak in the format of the upcoming recruitment test for assistant teachers at government-aided schools.
Justice Saugata Bhattacharyya was hearing a batch of petitions, filed by candidates who had written the SSC’s 2016 selection tests but failed to get the job.
The petitioners challenged the recruitment notification that the SSC published on May 30.
The commission notification did not explicitly mention that “tainted” candidates would not be allowed to take the test, tentatively slated for September this year.
The Supreme Court on April 3 terminated the jobs of 25,753 teaching and non-teaching staff of government-aided schools in Bengal, because it said the entire recruitment process was “vitiated”.
But it allowed those “not specifically found tainted” to sit for a fresh recruitment exam, along with fresh applicants.
Appearing for the petitioners on Tuesday, lawyer Anindya Mitra said that in its April 3 verdict, the Supreme Court said that “tainted” candidates would not be allowed to take the fresh test.
“But in its May 30 notification, the SSC did not mention that tainted candidates would not be allowed to apply for the test,” Mitra said.
The SSC website started accepting online applications from the night of June 16.
On Tuesday, Justice Bhattacharyya asked the counsel for the SSC and the state government why the “tainted” candidates were not barred from taking the test.
Biswarup Bhattacharya, who appeared for the commission and Sirsanya Bandopadhyay, appearing for the state, both sought time to respond. They said they needed to take instructions.
The judge then asked them to file an affidavit by July 7, when another similar petition is due for hearing.
SSC officials were unwilling to make any formal comment, saying the matter was sub-judice.
“The Supreme Court verdict does not explicitly mention that tainted candidates cannot take the test. It is open to legal interpretation,” one of them told Metro on the condition of anonymity.
“As of now, we are just admitting online applications. When time comes, the applications will be processed. By that time, the review petition should also be heard in the top court. We will take legal counsel and act accordingly,” he said.