Archive · 19 Aug 2026
Bengal Government Withdraws Orders Creating 1,600 Teacher Posts
The West Bengal government had planned to create 1,600 extra teaching jobs.
These jobs were for physical education and vocational education teachers.
The plan came from the earlier Trinamool Congress-led government.
The plan was announced in two notifications in 2022.
A Calcutta High Court judge said the government could not create such posts in the same way as normal jobs.
The earlier government appealed that decision.
The current government has now told the court that it will withdraw the notifications.
This means the planned recruitment through these extra posts will not go ahead.
The West Bengal government told the Calcutta High Court it would withdraw two notifications creating 1,600 supernumerary upper-primary teacher posts.
The posts were intended for physical education and vocational education teachers selected from a waiting list.
The notifications were issued on May 19 and October 14, 2022, under the previous Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress government.
A Calcutta High Court single-judge bench had ruled that supernumerary posts could not be created like regular recruitment except in special circumstances.
The withdrawal means the government will not proceed with recruitment through those posts, ending its challenge to the earlier ruling.
- Who
- The West Bengal government, the previous Trinamool Congress-led government, and the Calcutta High Court are central to the case.
- What
- The government announced the withdrawal of two notifications creating 1,600 supernumerary posts for upper-primary teachers.
- When
- The notifications were issued on May 19 and October 14, 2022; the withdrawal was reported to the court on Wednesday.
- Where
- The matter is before the Calcutta High Court in Kolkata, West Bengal.
- Why
- The government said it would not proceed with the controversial recruitment, which had been challenged after the court ruled that such posts could be created only in special circumstances.
Government and Earlier Cabinet Rationale
Court and Critics
Creation of extra posts
Government and Earlier Cabinet Rationale
The previous state Cabinet created the posts to reduce recruitment complications and appoint teachers from the waiting list.
Court and Critics
The Calcutta High Court single-judge bench said supernumerary posts could not be created like regular recruitment except in special circumstances.
Legal challenge
Government and Earlier Cabinet Rationale
The previous state government challenged the single-judge ruling before a division bench of the Calcutta High Court.
Court and Critics
The government has now decided to withdraw the notifications, meaning it will not continue recruitment through the disputed posts.
Political criticism
Government and Earlier Cabinet Rationale
The earlier government presented the posts as a way to address recruitment complications.
Court and Critics
Former judge Abhijit Ganguly Gangopadhyay strongly criticized the decision and said it could justify cancelling the Trinamool Congress's election symbol.
- Posts involved
- 1,600 supernumerary upper-primary teacher posts
- Teacher categories
- Physical education and vocational education
- Source of candidates
- A waiting list
- Notification dates
- May 19, 2022, and October 14, 2022
- Court
- Calcutta High Court
- Earlier ruling
- A single-judge bench said supernumerary posts could not be created like regular recruitment except in special circumstances
- Government decision
- The two notifications will be withdrawn and recruitment through the posts will not proceed