Bengal school appointments row: Supreme Court spares Mamata Banerjee govt from CBI ¡ª but will fresh hirings survive political fire next?
The Supreme Court has blocked a CBI probe into Bengal¡¯s creation of extra posts after the teacher recruitment scam. Mamata Banerjee vows to safeguard ¡°deserving¡± candidates, while political rivals call for her accountability in the high-voltage row.
The Supreme Court has rejected a CBI probe into the Mamata Banerjee government's move to create additional posts. These were meant to accommodate around 25,000 teaching and non-teaching staff who lost their jobs after the court voided the recruitment process.
A bench headed by Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna reversed the Calcutta High Court¡¯s earlier ruling. The court emphasized that the judiciary cannot step into cabinet decisions, thereby stating that the High Court had overstepped its authority. The petition had been filed by the Bengal government to challenge the High Court¡¯s verdict.
Court terms process ¡®beyond repair¡¯
Just last week, the apex court had declared the West Bengal School Service Commission¡¯s recruitment drive invalid due to widespread manipulation. The judges, including Justice Sanjay Kumar, said the scale of fraud and concealment had irreversibly damaged the process.
The state government, however, requested the court to differentiate between honest and dishonest candidates. The court refused, saying the manipulation was too extensive for any meaningful separation. It concluded that the process was ¡°intentionally compromised at every level.¡±
Mamata Banerjee fires back, targets opposition
Soon after the court¡¯s decision, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee struck a defiant tone, promising that all deserving teachers would be safeguarded. She also accused her rivals¡ªBJP and CPI(M)¡ªof trying to sabotage Bengal¡¯s education system.
Ms Banerjee also referenced exam scams in other BJP-ruled states, including the famous Vyapam scandal in Madhya Pradesh and the paper leaks in the NEET exams. Her argument: irregularities are not exclusive to Bengal and are politically exploited here.
The core of the controversy
The root of the controversy lies in the creation of supernumerary posts. Although around 24,640 posts were open in 2016, over 25,700 appointment letters were issued. This discrepancy triggered allegations of mass corruption and illegal recruitment.
The case has already led to the arrest of senior leaders, including former Education Minister Partha Chatterjee, a close aide of Mamata Banerjee. The BJP, seizing the moment, declared the court's ruling a ¡°crushing defeat¡± for the Trinamool Congress.
As Bengal¡¯s school recruitment row deepens, Mamata Banerjee and her government aims to stands firm¡ªbut with polls nearing, can she contain the political storm brewing within and beyond her party?
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Nancy Jaiswal is a journalist who started her career in reporting and has covered both hard and soft news. From serious city news developments to lighthearted lifestyle pieces, she has written on almost everything hapenning in India (except maybe alien invasions¡ªyet!). For her, writing isn¡¯t just work; it¡¯s a passion, an obsession, and sometimes the reason she forgets to reply to texts.
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