Mon Apr 07 09:27:32 UTC 2025: ## West Bengal CM Defends Sacked Teachers After Supreme Court Order
**Kolkata, India** – West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has vowed to protect the jobs of over 25,000 teachers whose appointments were cancelled by the Supreme Court last week due to widespread irregularities in the 2016 recruitment process. Addressing a large gathering of affected teachers, Banerjee criticized the court’s decision, drawing parallels to the NEET medical entrance exam, where, she claimed, the entire exam wasn’t cancelled despite allegations of irregularities.
The Supreme Court’s order cited “large-scale manipulations and frauds,” including rank jumping, out-of-panel appointments, and the destruction of OMR sheets by the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC). The court deemed the entire selection process “vitiated and tainted beyond resolution,” mandating a fresh recruitment process within three months. While teachers found untainted will not have to return their salaries, their services will be terminated.
Banerjee accused the BJP and CPM opposition parties of conspiring to destabilize the state’s education system, describing the court’s action as an “attack on our government.” She pledged to seek clarification from the court, file a review petition, and compensate the teachers for two months of lost salary while a solution is sought. She urged the teachers to continue working, assuring them that they would not face termination immediately.
However, the teachers themselves expressed reluctance to retake the examination, preferring instead to focus on legal challenges. They plan to urge both the state government and WBSSC to file review petitions. The situation remains tense, with the state government facing significant pressure to address the concerns of the affected teachers and comply with the Supreme Court’s order.
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