Tears flow as SC ruling ends jobs of over 25K teaching, non-teaching staff

Kolkata: Thousands of teachers across Bengal were left devastated on Thursday as the Supreme Court invalidated the appointments of nearly 26,000 teaching and non-teaching staff.

The ruling, which declared the 2016 recruitment process null and void, has left those affected in shock and uncertainty, forcing them to prepare for fresh competitive exams to reclaim their jobs.

The verdict, delivered at 10:45 am, sought to remove “tainted” candidates from the recruitment process. However, many claim that they secured their positions through merit and are now unfairly caught in the fallout. Teachers who had been employed for nearly six years gathered at Shahid Minar to express their grief and frustration, with many breaking down in tears, questioning the fairness of the decision.

Aditi Basu, a Mathematics teacher at Dakshineswar Bharati Bhawan Girls’ High School, shared: “How can the court take away everyone’s job indiscriminately? My entire family depends on my salary...”