Teacher Candidates Who Got Their EWS Certificates Late Must Still Be Counted
An EWS certificate can only be sought after a recruitment notice is published, and it takes weeks to issue. Candidates for West Bengal's teacher selection test got theirs after the last date and were shut out. A Division Bench has let them in.
The Court held an EWS certificate can only be applied for once the recruitment notice is out and is valid for one financial year, unlike caste certificates. So almost no candidate could hold one on the last date. Candidates must be allowed to produce it after the last date, especially as the category-editing window stayed open later. The single judge's view that others would be prejudiced was an error.
- An EWS certificate follows the notice. You cannot get one before the recruitment is announced.
- It lasts one financial year, unlike a caste certificate that lasts for life.
- Producing it after the last date is allowed where the timeline makes it impossible otherwise.
- No prejudice to other candidates, the Division Bench held, as everyone could edit their category later.
- Court
- Calcutta High Court
- Bench
- Justice HON'BLE JUSTICE RAJASEKHAR MANTHA, Justice HON'BLE JUSTICE ANUJ SINGH
- Citation
- F.M.A. No. 1002 of 2026
- Case
- F.M.A. No. 1002 of 2026
- Decided
- 14 September 2026
- Outcome
- Appeal allowed; candidates to be treated as EWS after verification
How the dates worked out
The second State Level Selection Test for Assistant Teachers was notified on 30 May 2025, with applications closing on 14 July 2025, later extended to 25 July 2025.
An applicant can seek an EWS certificate only by attaching the notification for the recruitment he or she intends to join. These candidates applied to their Block Development Officers on 26 June 2025 and received certificates from the Additional District Magistrate on 30 July 2025, after the last date.
Meanwhile the School Service Commission, faced with uncertainty over struck-down OBC classifications, had told all candidates that category certificates would be uploaded for scrutiny later, and kept the window to edit the category open until 12 August 2025. A single judge nevertheless dismissed their writ petition.
Why the Bench let them in
Justices Rajasekhar Mantha and Anuj Singh pointed out that an EWS certificate is valid only for one financial year, unlike SC, ST or OBC certificates which may last a lifetime, and can be applied for only after the recruitment notice is published.
On that footing, ordinarily no candidate could hold a valid EWS certificate when applications opened. Given how long government departments take to issue such certification, candidates had to be given the chance to produce it even after the last date.
The Court also saw no prejudice to anyone else, since candidates of every category were allowed to edit and specify their category up to 12 August 2025.
The order
The single judge's order was set aside and the writ petition allowed.
Each of the candidates is to be treated in the EWS category once their certificates are verified, and their applications processed in that category if the Commission finds them correct. No costs were ordered.
Who argued it
Appearances as recorded in the judgment of the Court.
Frequently asked
Can an EWS certificate issued after the last date still be used?
The Calcutta High Court allowed it here, because the certificate cannot be sought before the recruitment notice.
How long is an EWS certificate valid?
Only for one financial year, unlike caste certificates which may be valid for life.
If your certificate arrives after the last date
- Keep proof of the date you applied for the certificate.
- Check whether the certificate could legally be sought any earlier.
- Note any extension of the application or category-editing window.
- Apply to the recruiting body first, with those documents.
Source. Calcutta High Court, F.M.A. No. 1002 of 2026, decided 14 September 2026 by Justice HON'BLE JUSTICE RAJASEKHAR MANTHA, Justice HON'BLE JUSTICE ANUJ SINGH. This explainer is written from the judgment text as reported.
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