The Supreme Court on Tuesday, September 10, deferred hearing pleas challenging the Calcutta High Court's order that invalidated the appointments of 25,753 teachers and non-teaching staff in state-run and state-aided schools in West Bengal.
The bench, led by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, announced that the petitions would now be heard on September 24.
The pleas, filed by the West Bengal government and several others, seek to overturn the Calcutta High Court’s April 22 decision, which nullified the recruitment process for these positions. The Supreme Court is currently handling 33 petitions related to the case.
Earlier, on May 7, the apex court provided temporary relief for the affected teachers and staff. However, it had clarified that if their recruitment is proven to be illegal, they would be required to refund all salaries and benefits received. The bench also raised the possibility of separating invalid appointments from legitimate ones, stating that it would be inappropriate to discard the entire recruitment process without a deeper analysis.
The case has drawn significant attention, given its impact on the education system in West Bengal and the livelihoods of thousands of school employees.
