Calcutta HC stays single bench order terminating jobs of 32,000 school teachers

Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court Friday passed an interim stay on an earlier order terminating jobs of around 32,000 teachers in West Bengal government-sponsored and -aided primary schools till the end of September or until further orders.

A single bench had on May 12 ordered the cancellation of appointment of around 32,000 candidates who had not completed teacher training when they were recruited as primary teachers through a selection process in 2016 on the basis of Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) of 2014.

"There shall be an interim stay on termination of jobs till the end of September, 2023, or until further orders, whichever is earlier," a division bench presided by Justice Subrata Talukdar directed.

The termination of jobs without giving a chance of meaningful right of defence to the affected parties prima facie requires judicial intervention, the bench, also comprising Justice Supratim Bhattacharya said, while passing its interim order on an appeal by the West Bengal Board of Primary Education and some affected teachers.

Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay had earlier ordered the cancellation of appointment.