‘Victory of truth’: Bratya hails HC nod to 32K primary teachers’ jobs

Kolkata: State Education minister Bratya Basu on Wednesday described the Calcutta High Court Division Bench order upholding the appointments of 32,000 primary teachers as a “victory of truth”, as teachers across districts celebrated an end to more than two years of uncertainty.

A Division Bench of Justices Tapobrata Chakraborty and Reetobroto Kumar Mitra set aside the single Bench verdict that had cancelled appointments made through the 2014 Teachers’ Eligibility Test (TET). Shortly after the ruling, Basu wrote on X: “The single Bench verdict has been quashed. The jobs of 32,000 primary teachers remain fully protected… truth has prevailed.”

Speaking to reporters later, Basu said the department had “worked for five months” on the case and thanked the Chief Minister for her support. He also praised WBBPE president Goutam Pal, saying the judgment showed the government had consistently backed eligible teachers. Referring to the now-overturned single Bench order of (retired) Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay, Basu cited a Division Bench observation: “We are not medieval knights searching for society’s good and bad.” He added that whether the former judge, now a political leader, acted with bias “will be judged by the people”.

Basu said Central agencies had examined the allegations and the department was now working to restore the jobs of “untainted” SSC candidates who had lost employment. Completing pending SSC appointments, he said, would “close a five-year circle”. He asserted that both the SSC and TET processes had been conducted transparently.

Teachers waiting outside the High Court since morning broke into celebrations after the ruling. Many said the judgment validated their long legal struggle. Sheikh Nasim Ali from Hooghly said the cancellation had been “politically motivated”, while Shobhan Kumar Mishra of Malda noted that “neither the CBI nor the ED found any corruption”.

Some petitioners said they planned to approach the Supreme Court. Basu said they had every right to do so but urged them not to politicise the issue. Teachers said they were ready to continue the fight if required.