Calcutta High Court Sets Aside 2023 Order Canceling 32,000 Primary Teachers’ Appointments: Major Education & Governance Developments
December 2-3, 2025 | Teachers Recruitment Controversy | Judiciary Intervention | Governance Transparency
By Education Law & Governance Correspondent
Legal Expert on Recruitment & Public Sector Employment
Focus: Recruitment policies, judiciary rulings, public sector governance
In a landmark decision, Calcutta High Court overturned a 2023 single judge order canceling 32,000 primary teachers’ jobs citing unproven recruitment irregularities, emphasizing fairness and protecting innocent educators.
The division bench of Justices Tapobrata Chakraborty and Reetobroto Kumar Mitra ruled on December 2, 2025, setting aside Justice Abhijit Ganguly’s 2023 order that had canceled primary school teachers’ appointments based on allegations related to the 2014 Teachers’ Eligibility Test (TET). The bench noted the absence of concrete evidence of systemic cheating and emphasized that innocent teachers who have served for nearly a decade must not suffer due to alleged irregularities involving a minority subset.
The court highlighted that irregularities identified by investigative agencies were limited to a small group, and the termination of all appointees would cause undue hardship on thousands of families. It also recognized ongoing criminal proceedings and interim reliefs granted to 96 candidates, adding complexity to the issue.
The court highlighted that irregularities identified by investigative agencies were limited to a small group, and the termination of all appointees would cause undue hardship on thousands of families. It also recognized ongoing criminal proceedings and interim reliefs granted to 96 candidates, adding complexity to the issue.
Background: The 2014 TET Recruitment Controversy
- The recruitment involved selection of primary school teachers by the West Bengal Board of Primary Education through the 2014 Teachers’ Eligibility Test.
- Petitions alleged large-scale irregularities including the sale of appointments and the lack of a formal aptitude test for shortlisted candidates during the recruitment process.
- The single judge's 2023 order cited corruption and fraudulent interviews for canceling the appointments of about 32,000 teachers.
- Investigations by CBI and ED focused on irregularities faced by a small fraction of candidates, while the majority of appointees were found to be innocent beneficiaries.
Judicial Reasoning and Impact
- The division bench emphasized protecting employment stability for innocent teachers who have served for nearly nine years.
- It held that the entire recruitment could not be invalidated due to irregularities affecting a small group.
- The court urged that ongoing criminal investigations should proceed without punishing innocent employees unfairly.
- The verdict has major implications for education governance and highlights judiciary's role in safeguarding employment rights.
π Click the button to try a free mock test on recruitment laws, education governance, and judicial rulings.
Why This Matter: Educational Governance & Recruitment Fairness
- ✓ Upholds job security for nearly a decade of service by 32,000+ primary school teachers.
- ✓ Highlights judiciary's balance between detecting irregularities and protecting innocent workers.
- ✓ Sheds light on systemic challenges in public sector recruitment processes.
- ✓ Reinforces importance of procedural fairness in appointments within government education systems.
- ✓ Case exemplifies how courts influence governance reforms and public policy implementation.
— End of Report —
Sources:
- The Times of India, The Telegraph India, NewsonAir, Indian Express, LiveLaw
- Financial Express, Economic Times, Hindustan Times, Indian Today
- Calcutta High Court official rulings
- December 2-3, 2025
