⚠️🚫 The West Bengal teachers recruitment scam | 🪧 ✊ JNU-style protests sweep US universities
The Calcutta HC's order invalidated 25000 teachers' jobs and asked them to return 8-years of pay. Meanwhile, JNU-style "Azadi" protests have begun taking over US universities.
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Market Watch
Indian benchmark indices ended the day in the green with the Sensex up 89.83 points at 73,738.45, and the Nifty up 31.60 points at 22,368.
Sectorally, Nifty Pharma and Nifty Healthcare were the biggest losers while Nifty Realty and Nifty FMCG were the biggest gainers.
The West Bengal teachers recruitment scam: Explained
The Calcutta High Court's recent cancellation of all appointments made through the 2016 State Level Selection Test has uprooted over 25,000 jobs, sending shockwaves across West Bengal's educational sector.
The State Level Selection Test (SLST) conducted by the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC) is an entrance examination designed to recruit teachers in government-aided and sponsored secondary and higher secondary schools in West Bengal, India.
What's the recruitment scam? A CBI probe into the State Level Selection Test (SLST) conducted by the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC) for the years 2014 to 2016, revealed a political nexus had operated to grant appointments in return for money at the cost of merit-based candidates.
In short, candidates who scored lower were ranked higher on the merit lists. Some candidates who were not on the merit list also got appointments. The probe revealed that many of these appointments were made after candidates paid bribes to officials.
Investigations revealed a pattern of corruption, including the manipulation of Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) sheets and the involvement of middlemen who collected bribes from candidates.
Former state education minister Partha Chatterjee and his aide Arpita Mukherjee were arrested in connection with the recruitment scam after significant cash and jewellery were recovered from Mukherjee's residence.
What the court said: Those who were recruited have been ordered to return their salaries with 12% annual interest, and the West Bengal School Service Commission must initiate a fresh appointment process within 15 days.
The court also instructed the district magistrates to collect the salaries from the illegally appointed teachers within four weeks.
The intrigue: The Calcutta High Court division bench noted that the “exact number of persons” out of the 25,757 appointees who had benefited out of “manipulations and illegalities” in the selection process had not been identified. “Some have been identified,” the bench observed, holding that it was difficult in such circumstances to “sift the grain from the chaff…We are left with the option of cancelling all the appointments,” the bench said, directing CBI to continue with the investigation.
This essentially means that those who got in based purely on merit are also at the receiving end, and will have to cough up their salary to their respective District Collectors in the next four weeks.
Clip du jour
This epic video of a CNBC reporter’s on-air blunder:
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JNU-style protests at Colombia and Yale University leads to mass arrests
Protests on American university campuses have led to arrests and a shift to virtual classes due to escalating tensions related to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Intriguingly one of the protests featured JNU-style “azadi” sloganeering.
Yale University police arrested approximately 45 protesters for a pro-Palestinian, pro-divestment rally, charging them with first-degree criminal trespass.
Columbia University moved to virtual classes to deescalate campus tensions following more than 100 arrests of pro-Palestinian demonstrators.
Similar protests and encampments have occurred at other prominent institutions, including Emerson College, MIT, the University of Michigan, and NYU.
What are these protests about? These protests are being conducted to show solidarity with Palestine, with students demanding that the US enforce a ceasefire and stop supplying arms to Israel.
For the US, the issue is a delicate tightrope walk because Israel helps the US reign in Iranian interests in the region. Israel is also a steadfast supporter of Ukraine and is staunchly opposed to Russia, factors that closely align with US foreign policy goals.
However, on the domestic front, the Biden administration is facing increasing pressure from young voters who are opposed to the US helping Israel.
ICYMI
📈 WeWork is selling its remaining 27% stake in WeWork India, completely exiting operations in the country.
⚖️ Once again, the Supreme Court comes down heavily on Ramdev, and asks him to print 'apology same size as ads?'
🔎 Uber India has published its annual Lost and Found list, and it’s a fun read.
🔎 In response to the recent barrage of adulterated/unhealthy food-related news reports (Nestle, MDH, Everest), the FSSAI is initiating a concentrated effort to inspect spice and infant food brands across India.
✈️ The UK Parliament has passed the contentious Rwanda asylum law, which gives them the right to deport illegal migrants to Rwanda.
👩 Naima Khatoon has become AMU’s first female Vice-Chancellor.
💉 Arvind Kejriwal has been administered insulin in Tihar jail after his blood sugar soared to 305.
Apple is in talks with FIFA for broadcast rights to a new global club-based World Cup like football tournament.