Kolkata, Dec 3 (NationPress) On Wednesday, the division bench of the Calcutta High Court overturned the decision made by a single-judge bench that had nullified the appointment of 32,000 primary teachers in state-run educational institutions.

This ruling has provided significant relief to the West Bengal government. The six-month-long dispute concluded at the division bench, which included Justice Tapabrata Chakraborty and Justice Ritabrata Kumar Mitra, on November 12. Although the division bench reserved judgment on that date, the final decision was announced on Wednesday afternoon.

Upon dismissing the single-judge bench's earlier ruling, the division bench noted that while irregularities in the recruitment process were acknowledged, it was unjust to cancel the jobs of so many primary teachers who had been serving for years.

The judges emphasized that the innocent candidates, who had no involvement in the identified irregularities, should not face repercussions. They also remarked that revoking the positions of 32,000 primary teachers would adversely affect their families.

The specifics of the division bench's observations, which informed the decision to dismiss the single-judge bench's order, will be available once the official copy is uploaded on the Calcutta High Court website.

The proceedings at the division bench began on April 28.

To summarize, on May 12, 2023, a single-judge bench, presided over by the then judge of the Calcutta High Court and now BJP Lok Sabha member, Abhijit Gangopadhyay, ordered the termination of 32,000 primary teacher appointments in the state.

This order was issued in response to petitions from candidates claiming that many individuals secured appointments through unjust means, despite ranking significantly lower in the recruitment examinations.

The state government contested this ruling at the division bench, which was led by Justice Soumen Sen and Justice Smita Das De. However, after Justice Sen recused himself from the case, it was reassigned to the bench of Justice Chakraborty and Justice Mitra.

In 2014, based on the Teachers' Eligibility Test (TET) conducted by the West Bengal Board of Primary Education (WBBPE), a total of 42,500 primary teachers were hired. Some candidates participating in the TET filed a lawsuit in the Calcutta High Court, alleging widespread irregularities in the recruitment process, including monetary exchanges for job placements.

Following an extensive hearing, the single-judge bench, led by Justice Gangopadhyay, canceled the appointments of 32,000 primary teachers on May 12, 2023.

Ultimately, the ruling from the division bench of Justice Chakraborty and Justice Mitra, dismissing the single-judge bench's decision, offered much-needed relief to the 32,000 primary teachers.