The West Bengal SSC scam, involving fraudulent recruitment of teachers and staff, has led to the cancellation of nearly 26,000 school appointments, sparking a massive political and legal battle.
By Aniket Chakraborty
Apr 14, 2025
The scam began in 2016 when over 25,000 extra appointment letters were issued, raising red flags about tampered recruitment processes, fake merit lists, and bribes paid for jobs.
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The Calcutta High Court and Supreme Court have ruled the recruitment process as fraudulent, leading to the cancellation of all appointments, including those of 26,000 teachers.
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The Supreme Court emphasized that fraudulent appointments must be removed, though those who received salaries from their posts won’t be required to return the money already paid.
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The case has ensnared several top politicians, including former Education Minister Partha Chatterjee, and led to investigations by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
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Mamata Banerjee’s government has been accused of shielding those involved in the scam, with political parties criticizing the handling of the investigation and the fallout.
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Opposition parties, including BJP and CPI-M, have staged protests, accusing the TMC of failing to separate the innocent teachers from those who had paid bribes for their jobs.
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The fate of 26,000 teachers caught in the scam remains uncertain, as the court ruling did not differentiate between eligible and ineligible candidates.
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Mamata Banerjee has called for teachers impacted by the ruling to continue offering voluntary services at schools while the state clarifies their legal status.
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With the deadline for a redo of the recruitment process looming, the WBSSC and the state government must ensure a clean, transparent selection process moving forward.