There is one news item that has caught my eye for the last two days, and it is the ‘West Bengal Teacher Hiring Scam’. The Calcutta High Court on 22nd April 2024 declared as null and void the recruitment process of State Level Selection Test-2016 (SLST) in West Bengal government-sponsored and aided schools, ordering the cancellation of all appointments made through it. Over 23 lakh candidates appeared for the 2016 SLST for 24,640 vacant posts.
This has become a big setback to the West Bengal government of TMC led by Mamata Banerjee. As many as 25,753 teachers and non-teaching staff who were appointed through SLST are set to lose their jobs and have been asked by the HC to return their salaries along with 12% interest. HC further directed CBI to probe the appointment process and submit a report in three months.
This SLST was meant to fill vacancies for teaching and non-teaching staff. The teachers’ recruitment was meant for classes 9-10, classes 11-12, clerical staff and class D employees in the schools. Those who applied for teachers posts took the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET). A SLST panel was formed, and the final selection was on the basis of weightage given to TET marks, academic records, interview and personality test. Afterwards The West Bengal Board of Secondary Education (WBBSE) gave the appointment letters based on the recommendations of the School Service Commission (SSC), which was strictly on the basis of SLST merit list.
Controversy arose when the final list was uploaded, it did not mention the SLST scores, it just showed the IDS of successful candidates.
Based on the allegations of corruption in the selection process, the case has been going on for a long time. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested Partha Chatterjee, TMC’s general Secretary and minister in the state govt at that time, in July 2022. In the first petition filed against the selection process, the petitioners claimed that many candidates who had received lower grades were placed higher on the merit list, raising concern about the fairness of the selection process. Futhermore, there were allegations that individuals who did not even make the merit list were given appointment letters.
A CBI investigation was launched in response to an order from the Calcutta HC. That time the investigation focused on the appointment of 269 primary school teachers, which were deemed illegal because the candidates allegedly did not pass the TET. It was also claimed that some ineligible candidates were appointed as Assistant Teachers, with candidates who submitted blank exam papers receiving appointments. Prtha Chatterjee, who at the time selection process was holding education minister’s portfolio was called for questioning by CBI, and as earlier stated, was arrested. CBI found out that that this the case of large scale corruption in hiring process, and therefore ED got involved for looking into the trail of money laundering.
The ED has already attached property worth Rs 230 Cr belonging to former advisor to WB SSC-Shanti Prasad Sinha and an alleged middleman Prassana Roy.
As per CBI’s report to HC, the selection panel identified teaching vacancies in an ‘unauthorised manner’ and issued fictitious recommendations by scanning signatures of the chairpersons of the regional service commissions under SSC. It also pointed that Optical Marks Recognition (OMR) were also manipulated on answer scripts of candidates where even those scoring 0 or 1, were given qualifying marks of 51 in the SLST panel. The original OMR sheets were destroyed.
HC says that exact number of illegal appointees could not be ascertain, but their sweeping order will also affect the genuine appointees. HC further added that non-cooperation from SSC and the state govt was making it impossible to find the exact truth, hence this order.
Now it has become evident that there was large scale corruption in the selection process, and it was carried out with the knowledge and blessings of TMC govt, and where many officials of government and ministers were involved. As per the unofficial reports going rate for teachers appointment was Rs 10-15 lakhs, and Rs 5-7 lakhs for non-teaching staff. Assuming, that only 50% of total candidates, who were given appointment letters but actually there were ineligible, you can estimate the amount of corruption taking place.
Now the problem is how this 25,000+ employees are going to return the salaries earned over almost 5 years with 12% interest. I am very much sure that this case will now land in the Supreme Court, where these employees are going to plead how they can return the salaries earned over the years. Instead of finding the real culprits in the government official and ministers involved, HC has found an easy way out and taxed the employees. Where is the guarantee that new selection process for hiring another 25,000+ teaching and non-teaching staff is going to be corruption free. In my opinion with the present TMC government in the saddle, it will be a tall order.
There is going to further development on this matter, in the near future. So let us wait and watch.
Waiting for your feedback on this blog.
Anil Malik
Mumbai, India
24th April 2024