Kolkata, Nov 19 (NationPress) In a significant ruling, a single-judge Bench of the Calcutta High Court directed the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC) to identify and disclose the names of candidates deemed tainted who have qualified for interviews in the ongoing recruitment of higher secondary teachers in state-run schools across the region.

This directive was issued by Justice Amrita Sinha during the initial hearing of a petition contesting the recently announced results of the written examination for the recruitment of these teachers, which were published last week.

Justice Sinha emphasized that the commission must make public the names of these “tainted” candidates who are eligible for interviews, along with the names of their guardians and respective addresses.

Recognizing the possibility of multiple candidates sharing the same name, Justice Sinha insisted that the published lists should include additional identifying information.

The next court hearing on this matter is scheduled for December 3, by which time the WBSSC is expected to have complied with Justice Sinha's order.

This new recruitment initiative comes in light of the cancellation of approximately 26,000 teaching positions ordered by a Division Bench of the Supreme Court earlier this year. In its ruling in April, the apex court prohibited tainted teachers—who had secured their jobs through corrupt practices—from participating in this recruitment.

The petitioner alleged that despite the Supreme Court's directive, the WBSSC allowed several tainted candidates to sit for the written examination, many of whom successfully qualified for interviews based on last week's announcement.

A total of around 20,000 candidates who sat for the recruitment examination have now qualified for the interview stage, with document verification commencing on November 18.

Earlier in April, the Supreme Court upheld a previous ruling from the Calcutta High Court that annulled the entire panel of WBSSC from 2016.

The apex court concurred with the High Court's stance that the cancellation was necessary, as the state education department and the commission failed to provide two distinct lists separating untainted candidates from tainted ones despite repeated requests.

The Supreme Court mandated that the entire recruitment process must conclude by December 31 of this year.

While the Supreme Court barred tainted teachers from participating, untainted teachers are still permitted to take part in the recruitment process.