Calcutta HC extends stay on teachers’ appointment for a week

The Calcutta High Court on Friday extended till July 9 its stay on the appointment process of 14,500 teachers for upper primary schools and directed the state School Service Commission (SSC) to publish a fresh interview list of candidates along with the marks obtained by them within seven days.

Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay said that the marks obtained by those who did not feature in the interview list would have to be published too. The court was hearing a petition which challenged the appointment process saying that prescribed rules were not followed in preparing the list.

Ordering the SSC not to hold interviews of candidates till it vacates the interim stay passed on June 30, the court allowed office work for the purpose.

“I think that disclosure of marks (with break up) of the interview listed candidates as also the persons who have not been included in the interview list will solve a lot of problems,” Justice Gangopadhyay said.

He said that he had felt that the main grievance of the petitioners was that they had no information about the marks got by them and other candidates who featured the list.

“I am in favour of transparency in governmental actions and actions of other authorities who are not strictly governmental. Transparency is always required in an open and democratic society and State,” the judge said.

The advocate representing the SSC submitted that seven days’ time is required for the publication of the list with the break-up of marks of each candidate as asked by the court.

Petitioners’ lawyer Firdaus Shamim said, “The court has extended the stay on the appointment process of the teachers. It has also criticised the West Bengal School Service Commission and asked its chairman to physically appear before the court. It has directed that a fresh interview list of candidates be published with marks obtained by them within seven days.”

The court will hear the matter again on July 9.