WB teachers' recruitment scam: HC now asks parties to submit summary of arguments

Appearing for the Board, senior counsel Kishore Dutta submitted that one mark for a wrong question was awarded to the 269 candidates in the Teachers' Eligibility Test (TET) 2014 exam
File photo of Calcutta High Court | (Pic: PTI)
File photo of Calcutta High Court | (Pic: PTI)
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Seeking a summary of arguments on the West Bengal school teachers' recruitment scam, a division bench of the Calcutta High Court directed the contestants to present them. The court was hearing a plea on the matter, filed by the West Bengal Primary Education Board asking for a stay on a single bench ruling that directed a CBI probe into the appointment of at least 269 teachers in state government-sponsored or aided primary schools.

Appearing for the Board, senior counsel Kishore Dutta submitted that one mark for a wrong question was awarded to the 269 candidates who would have benefitted from the exercise in the Teachers' Eligibility Test (TET) 2014, while over 20 lakh examinees were not given the same as that would not have had any additional outcome for them, as per a PTI report.

He also submitted that those who had got marks above the cut-off or lower than it by at least two points were not given the additional mark as that would not have helped them in some way. It was stated that an expert committee was appointed by the board to look into the issue of the wrong question, which then recommended that an additional mark be given for it.

The plea was heard by a vacation bench of the High Court, comprising of Justices Subrata Talukdar and Lopita Banerjee. Justice Talukdar questioned the fact that the knowledge of the extra mark being awarded was not made public, as alleged by the petitioners. He also asked the WB Board's counsel if not giving the extra mark to each of the over 20 lakh candidates who appeared for the 2014 TET meant unequal treatment since 269 is a miniscule percentage of the total examinees.

Sudipto Dasgupta, lawyer for one of the petitioners in the matter, submitted that emphasis is given on TET qualification marks in the selection process of teachers and as such the additional mark should have been given to all candidates and not just 269 only. And Firdous Shamim, the lawyer for another petitioner questioning the appointment process for primary teachers, claimed that a public employment turned into a private affair by way of unfair recruitments. 

It was submitted by counsel Dutta that of the 23 lakh candidates for the 2014 TET, over 20 lakh appeared for the examination and 1.25 lakh qualified. He added that 29,358 untrained and more than 11,000 trained candidates were appointed against total of 42,949 vacancies in primary schools. He stated that following a directive by the Ministry of Human Resources Development in September 2017, which barred the appointment of untrained teachers, these 269 trained candidates were chosen who had one mark short of the pass mark.

A CBI probe had been initiated in the case as per an order by Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay had on June 13, 2022. The appointment of 269 primary school teachers in Bengal government-sponsored and -aided schools has been termed to be illegal, as it has been alleged by the petitioners that these candidates did not qualify the TET exam.

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