Reaffirming the integrity of the recruitment process, the Calcutta High Court upheld a single-judge order disqualifying 'tainted' candidates from participating in the fresh selection process for assistant teachers in West Bengal.

A Division Bench comprising Justices Soumen Sen and Smita Das De dismissed appeals filed by the West Bengal government and the West Bengal Central School Service Commission (WBCSSC) challenging Justice Saugata Bhattacharya’s earlier order dated July 7.

The government and the WBCSSC had argued that the disqualified candidates had already faced consequences for their actions and should not be denied an opportunity to earn a livelihood. However, the court disagreed, observing that those who secured jobs through fraudulent means during the 2016 recruitment process cannot be permitted to re-enter the system.

Justice Bhattacharya’s July 7 order came in response to petitions filed by untainted candidates, who opposed the State’s move to allow disqualified individuals to reapply. The court held that fairness in recruitment cannot be compromised and excluded those involved in irregularities.

The 2016 recruitment process for assistant teachers had been scrapped by both the Calcutta High Court and the Supreme Court over widespread allegations of fraud. The State subsequently launched a fresh recruitment drive, which now stands reserved exclusively for eligible and untainted candidates