Will the Bengal School Job Case Stay Be Vacated?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- The Calcutta High Court has upheld the stay on supernumerary recruitment.
- A next hearing is set for June 18, which may bring new legal arguments.
- Protests by candidates highlight ongoing frustration with the recruitment process.
- Legal proceedings against the protesters indicate serious implications for free speech.
- The case reflects broader issues within the education sector in West Bengal.
Kolkata, May 20 (NationPress) The Calcutta High Court has opted not to lift the stay that was previously established by its single-judge bench regarding the recruitment for supernumerary positions in the upper-primary sections of state-operated schools in West Bengal.
This stay was initially put in place by Justice Biswajit Basu. Following this, the state government sought to challenge the ruling, leading to a hearing by a division bench comprised of Justice Soumen Sen and Justice Smita Das.
After several days of examination, the division bench decided against vacating the stay that was set by Justice Basu.
The bench remarked that since the case concerning the recruitment of supernumerary posts is still under consideration by the single-judge bench, it would be inappropriate to lift the stay.
The next hearing in this case at the single-judge bench of Justice Basu is slated for June 18. This upcoming session is particularly significant as it may bring forth additional legal arguments for and against the rationale behind supernumerary recruitment.
Recently, a group of aspiring upper-primary teachers demonstrated outside the chambers of a senior advocate from the Calcutta High Court, Bikas Ranjan Bhattacharya, who is also a CPI-M Rajya Sabha member.
The demonstrators expressed their dissatisfaction with Bhattacharya for his legal arguments, which they believe have contributed to the cancellation of educational job opportunities in the state. During the protests, some individuals directed derogatory remarks towards Justice Basu due to his negative comments regarding the alleged school jobs scam.
A suo motu contempt-of-court case has been initiated against the protestors and those orchestrating the demonstrations. This case is currently being examined by a special three-judge bench consisting of Justice Arijit Banerjee, Justice Sabyasachi Bhattacharya, and Justice Rajarshi Bharadwaj, which was specifically formed to address this issue.