SC pulls up Bengal govt for shielding ‘tainted’ candidates

Kolkata: The Supreme Court on Thursday pulled up the West Bengal government for attempting to accommodate tainted candidates in the controversial School Service Commission (SSC) recruitment linked to the 2016 State Level Selection Test (SLST).

A bench of Justice PV Sanjay Kumar and Justice Alok Aradhe expressed strong disapproval of the State’s submissions before the Calcutta High Court. “You said our judgment does not say anything on tainted candidates being permitted to appear.

This is how the State of West Bengal is understanding the judgment? What kind of blue-eyed girls and boys are these that you even bring in the Advocate General to argue for them?” Justice Kumar remarked. The court observed it was “shocking” that lives of genuine candidates were ruined through manipulation of OMR sheets, while attempts were made to “smuggle in” tainted names again.

The bench warned the State against “tinkering” with the process, stressing that ministers had no business pushing their own candidates. The top court reiterated that no tainted candidate would be allowed to participate in the fresh recruitment tests scheduled for September 7 and 14. Untainted teachers already appointed and permitted to serve till December 31, 2025, can sit for the exam without having to meet the new 50% graduation marks criterion.

Dismissing fresh pleas for extension of deadlines, the court upheld September 2, 2025, as the cut-off date for applications, while allowing physical submission in case of technical glitches.

The order stated: “As we have already entertained sufficient number of special leave petitions on the issues arising out of the fresh selection process sought to be undertaken by the West Bengal Central School Service Commission, we find no ground to entertain these… Permission to file the special leave petitions

is, thus, rejected.”