A division bench of Calcutta High Court has issued an interim stay on an order passed by Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay of the same court asking the state primary education board to publish the 2014 TET panel from where teachers were recruited in government-aided primary schools (Classes I to V).
On January 3, Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay gave the order following complaints that some of the candidates on the panel were not given jobs despite being deserving.
The board had prepared the panel from candidates who had written the 2014 TET (Teachers’ Eligibility Test) and subsequently went through an interview and other layers of screening.
The division bench’s order on Wednesday followed an appeal by the board.
The board’s lawyer had moved the division bench alleging that S Basu Roy and Company, which had been engaged to prepare the merit list, was not assisting the board in publishing the panel of 42000-odd candidates.
A TET-qualified candidate is recommended for appointment as a teacher based on the merit list which is drawn up by factoring a his/her score in the written test and marks in secondary, higher secondary exams and extracurricular activities.
For instance, factoring in the secondary marks, a maximum of 5 marks can be awarded to a TET-qualified candidate. Similarly, up to 10 marks can be awarded based on the results of the higher secondary exams.
While hearing a case in March 2023, Justice Gangopahdyay found that a candidate was given 6 marks for Madhyamik and 15 for the HS.
“Unless and until the company provides the documents, it would be impossible for the board to publish the panel,” the lawyer appearing for the board told the division bench.
The lawyer told the division bench that the single bench judge had asked the board to submit the list within 10 days but some documents were still under the custody of the CBI.
Neither the company nor the CBI is helping the board the board, the lawyer said.
The division bench accepted the submission.