Overview

• On July 8, the West Bengal government and WBSSC filed an appeal with a division bench to overturn Justice Saugata Bhattacharyya’s single-judge order barring tainted candidates from the new teacher recruitment drive.
• Petitioners contend the Supreme Court’s April annulment only removed relaxations and did not explicitly prohibit former appointees from reapplying in the fresh selection process.
• The state invoked Article 20(2) of the Constitution, arguing that permanently excluding candidates whose services were already terminated amounts to double punishment.
• Justices Soumen Sen and Smita Das De questioned whether the WBSSC has locus standi to represent individuals whose appointments were quashed by the Supreme Court and sought a formal explanation for its advocacy.
• Critics highlighted that the revised marking scheme—raising written exam weightage and cutting academic and experience credits—could further disadvantage previously disqualified candidates.