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Time of India
17-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Calcutta HC asks West Bengal govt to complete pending college, university elections
The Calcutta High Court , on Thursday, asked the Bengal government to complete the pending students' council elections in all colleges and universities. The division bench of Justice Soumen Sen and Justice Smita Das directed the state government to issue the notification for college elections at the earliest. The division bench also observed that the state government should first issue the notification for conducting students' council elections, and the court would decide on the matter. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Select a Course Category Public Policy Design Thinking Others healthcare Cybersecurity Healthcare MCA Data Science Data Science Data Analytics MBA Project Management Operations Management Artificial Intelligence others CXO Technology Product Management Leadership Management Digital Marketing Finance PGDM Degree Skills you'll gain: Duration: 12 Months IIM Calcutta Executive Programme in Public Policy and Management Starts on undefined Get Details Skills you'll gain: Economics for Public Policy Making Quantitative Techniques Public & Project Finance Law, Health & Urban Development Policy Duration: 12 Months IIM Kozhikode Professional Certificate Programme in Public Policy Management Starts on Mar 3, 2024 Get Details On Thursday, the division bench also observed that the educational institutions in Bengal should be free of political influence. The state government counsel informed the court that the students' council elections could not be conducted in some universities because of the absence of full-time vice-chancellors. Earlier this month, the same division bench directed the West Bengal Higher Education departments that the union rooms, which are referred to as common rooms, in all colleges and universities in the state should remain locked until the students' union elections in those institutes were conducted and the results were declared. The Calcutta High Court made significant observations during hearings on the South Kolkata Law College incident and stated that all union rooms or common rooms should be closed following the South Calcutta Law College rape incident in the union room of the college. Live Events The investigation has revealed that the victim was called by the three accused, Monojit Mishra , Jaib Ahmed, and Pramit Mukherjee, to the common room within the campus.
Time of India
16-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
HC dismisses 4 appeals, clears decks for fresh SSC recruitment
1 2 Kolkata: Calcutta High Court on Wednesday dismissed four appeals against certain sections of the 2025 rules for the fresh selection process to be conducted by School Service Commission (SSC). Clearing the decks for recruitment, HC said the appelants, by mere participation, did not acquire any vested right. The HC observed that, with time, vacancies were bound to increase and that courts were confronted every day with a large number of cases where posts could not be filled due to pending litigations. "Although WBCSSC and WBBSE are responsible for the present impasse that has adversely impacted and affected the education system, it is high time that all the vacancies are filled up if required by clubbing the vacancies, as the separate recruitment process for vacancies declared in 2016 and beyond would cause serious inconvenience and delay in filling up existing vacancies. It would also affect the state exchequer," the court held. You Can Also Check: Kolkata AQI | Weather in Kolkata | Bank Holidays in Kolkata | Public Holidays in Kolkata The division bench of justices Soumen Sen and Smita Das De held that the policy decision of govt could only be under judicial scrutiny in "exceptional circumstances where it appears that the policy or some clauses in the policy are manifestly arbitrary, discriminatory, mala fide, unreasonable or unfair, or if it is found to be against any statute or Constitution." It was noted that the recruitment rules 2025 per se were not under challenge. "The appellants, by reason of mere participation, do not acquire any vested right. It is a mere exception that in the event all the posts are not filled up or any vacancy arises due to the failure of a successful candidate to join the post within a stipulated time, if they are 'waiting list' candidates, they would be considered for filling up such vacant posts in terms of the merit list," the HC said. "The enhancement of the mark or declaration of further vacancies, in our respectful view, is not arbitrary," the bench stated, while adding that the eligibility criteria in the selection process of 2016 were different from the 2025 recruitment process. "The rules are more stringent and student-centric. The revision in the eligibility criterion is in accordance and consonance with the NCTE guidelines," the HC held. "In order to select the most suitable candidates, proportionate weightage based on the length of experience to the extent of 10 marks be given to such candidates is not arbitrary. The object is to select and appoint experienced teachers," the HC added. Certain provisions of the rules of 2025, relating to the fixation of minimum marks in graduation/post-graduation level to adjudge eligible candidates to participate in the selection process and the changed pattern of allotment of marks, were challenged by the petitioners. They also submitted that SSC was not authorised or permitted to fill vacancies declared for the 1st SLST 2016 along. It was submitted that the declared vacancies of 1st SLST 2016 were required to be filled up based on the eligibility criterion mentioned in the rules of 2016.
Time of India
11-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
‘Govt is not to aid wrongdoers': HC frowns on SSC plea
Kolkata: Calcutta High Court, in its judgment on pleas challenging a single bench order barring candidates deemed 'tainted' from participating in SSC's fresh recruitment process, was critical of the state for arguing in their favour and observed that it was "not well-appreciated". "The appellants (School Service Commission and state), knowing fully well that the tainted candidates vitiated the entire selection process, should not have espoused their cause. Govt is not to aid the wrongdoers, and it sends a wrong signal," the HC held. The division bench of justices Soumen Sen and Smita Das De on Thursday turned down their pleas seeking to allow tainted candidates to apply in the new recruitment process for over 35,000 vacancies. You Can Also Check: Kolkata AQI | Weather in Kolkata | Bank Holidays in Kolkata | Public Holidays in Kolkata Senior advocate Kalyan Banerjee, representing SSC, argued that while Supreme Court directed the termination of tainted candidates' appointments along with a refund of salaries, nowhere in the SC judgment was there any clear bar from participating in future hiring processes. Advocate general Kishore Datta, representing the state, submitted that the exclusion of tainted candidates would amount to a violation of Article 16 of the Constitution. Datta stated that cancellation did not mean that the door for future employment is foreclosed. "It is really shocking and baffling that the appellants are supporting the tainted candidates. None of the three categories of the candidates mentioned in the orders of the Hon'ble Division Bench and the Hon'ble Supreme Court deserve any consideration. The argument that these candidates should have a level playing field on the basis of Article 16 of the Constitution of India is clearly not acceptable as it would militate against the basic notion of justice and fairness. It cannot be the fundamental policy of the state to encourage fraudsters in public employment. They have no place in the system," the HC held. The court went on to observe that a teacher was not only a mentor, facilitator and role model for a student, but also the guiding light of wisdom and gratitude. Referring to Beni Madhab Das, Surya Sen and other great teachers in history, the HC observed, "...it is really painful that the causes of candidates with tainted hands are now being defended for recruitment in the higher education system of the state. A teacher is said to be a fraudster when he secures a job by unfair means, which is completely inconceivable and unacceptable by any stretch of the imagination. A teacher not properly appointed with the required knowledge, skills, and values would be a disaster, ruining the education system. Knowledge, wisdom, and proper education are essential for the growth of the nation." "Fraud vitiates everything. Fraud and collusion vitiate the most solemn precedence in any civilised jurisprudence. Fraud and justice cannot dwell together. A litigant who is guilty of securing any benefit of public employment by unfair means and in collusion cannot seek a remedy under the writ jurisdiction, which is discretionary in nature, and the discretion must be exercised equitably and in promoting good faith," HC added.
Hindustan Times
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Calcutta HC rejects govt appeal, bars ‘tainted' teachers from new exam
Kolkata: A division bench of the Calcutta high court on Thursday upheld the July 7 order of a single bench to bar identifiable tainted recruits from the 2016 panel — whose appointments were cancelled by the Supreme Court in April in the bribe-for-job case — from appearing for the fresh selection test for Bengal government school teachers, lawyers who attended the hearing said. The West Bengal government and the WBSSC had filed a petition before the division bench of Justices Soumen Sen and Smita Das De on Tuesday (Samir Jana/HT Photo) The West Bengal government and WBSSC filed a petition before the division bench of justices Soumen Sen and Smita Das De on Tuesday after a single bench of justice Saugata Bhattacharyya on Monday ordered WBSSC to bar identifiable tainted recruits from the 2016 panel. The Supreme Court on April 3 cancelled the appointment of 25,752 school teachers and non-teaching staff (Group C and D) from the 2016 recruitment panel. On an appeal by the state, the top court on April 17 allowed non-tainted teachers to continue in service until December 31 but required them to appear for the fresh selection test. The notification for the test was published by WBSSC on May 30. However, it did not specify that only non-tainted teachers could appear for it. According to the WBSSC, 1,801 teachers recruited from the 2016 panel were identified as tainted during the investigation in the bribe-for-job case, and 188 of them figure among the 2,60,000 applicants for the upcoming selection test. The division bench said applications filed by the tainted teachers for the fresh test should be scrapped as ordered by the single bench. Trinamool Congress Lok Sabha member and senior lawyer Kalyan Banerjee, who appeared for WBSSC, argued that it was a violation of Article 20(2) of the Constitution, which protects citizens from being punished twice for the same offence. Banerjee said the alleged tainted teachers were being penalised a second time, as they had already lost their jobs following a Supreme Court order, and that the April 17 order did not specifically state that the tainted teachers could not appear for a fresh test. 'We have to obey the order. I cannot say anything against it right now. We repeatedly told the court that of the 0.26 million applicants for the fresh test, only 188 are identified as tainted,' Banerjee said. Senior advocate Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya, who represented the untainted teachers, said, 'The division bench dismissed the petitions the Trinamool Congress (TMC) government and the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC) filed challenging the single bench order.' Some shortlisted candidates from 2016, who also filed petitions before the bench of justice Bhattacharyya, alleged that WBSSC violated the 2016 recruitment rules by altering the weightage criteria for different components in the ongoing selection process. The commission has earmarked 10 marks each for 'prior teaching experience' and 'classroom demonstration'. This is a major deviation from the rules under which the 2016 tests were held, the petitioners said. The petitioners moved the bench of justice Bhattacharyya alleging that tainted teachers were being given an opportunity to get their jobs back. 'It is unfortunate that we had to put up arguments in court despite the Supreme Court specifically saying that only the untainted recruits can sit for the examination. The sole intention of TMC was to derail the Supreme Court's direction because it wants to shield corruption,' Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya, who is also a CPI(M) Rajya Sabha member, said. No TMC leader commented on Thursday's order till evening. Targeting the ruling party, Bengal BJP president Samik Bhattacharya, 'TMC has time and again used taxpayers' money on court cases so that it can protect the corrupt. It has lost each and every case.' The alleged corruption hit the headlines in May 2022 when the High Court ordered the Central Bureau of Investigation to probe the appointment of non-teaching staff (Group C and D) and teaching staff by WBSSC and the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education between 2014 and 2021, when TMC's Partha Chatterjee was education minister. The Enforcement Directorate, which started a parallel probe, arrested Chatterjee in July 2022. The ED filed charges against him, ex-primary education board president and legislator Manik Bhattacharya, and 52 others in January this year.
Time of India
10-07-2025
- Time of India
Survivor and family ‘satisfied' with probe
1 2 3 Kolkata: The survivor's counsel on Thursday informed Calcutta High Court that the family was satisfied with Kolkata Police's probe in the law college gan-grape case. They, however, wanted to see the progress report in the ongoing probe. Multiple PILs have been filed seeking the court to order a court-monitored probe or transfer it to CBI. The survivor's counsel, during the last hearing, told the court that "she was getting all support from the SIT". The division bench of justices Soumen Sen and Smita Das De allowed the family to see the progress report but were verbally asked not to share it with anyone else. The judge directed the state to serve the copy of the report to the survivor but warned that it cannot be divulged to any agency or media and is only for her information. You Can Also Check: Kolkata AQI | Weather in Kolkata | Bank Holidays in Kolkata | Public Holidays in Kolkata Pursuing the court's direction, the state submitted the progress report in a sealed cover. The survivor's statement under section 164 of CrPC was also submitted before the division bench. The state was directed to submit a progress report on the probe after four weeks. The OC also submitted a report in response to the allegations of past police cases against prime accused Monojit Mishra (31). The HC directed the college and state to file their affidavits before the next hearing, which is July 17. Senior advocate Phiroze Edulji, representing the litigants, raised the question of violation of the accused persons' human rights as they were being taken to a correctional home with ropes around their waist 'like cats and dogs'. Survivor's counsel, Arindam Jana, stated that the accused was being represented by 50 advocates in lower court but no one has raised the question of rights violation.
