Following a Supreme Court ruling on April 3 that declared the 2016 recruitment panel of the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC) null and void, hundreds of teachers and non-teaching staff gathered outside the commission’s headquarters in Kolkata to demand the release of the list of qualified candidates. The protestors are seeking clarity on their future and insist that the commission honor its promise to publish the comprehensive list of eligible candidates.
The Supreme Court’s verdict invalidated the entire 2016 recruitment process, citing widespread irregularities. This ruling led to the termination of around 26,000 teaching and non-teaching staff across state-run and state-aided schools in West Bengal. In response to the decision, Education Minister Bratya Basu had assured on April 11 that the WBSSC would publish a list of both “untainted” and “tainted” candidates by April 21, 2025.
Despite the assurance, the protestors, many of whom have been affected by the court’s decision, are frustrated with the delay. They marched from Karunamoyee Central Park to Acharya Bhavan, the WBSSC headquarters, to stage a sit-in and demand that the list be published immediately. Sutapa Malick, one of the protestors and a teacher whose appointment was invalidated, emphasized that they would not leave until the list was made available. She stated, “We are not ready to return to schools until the Commission officially acknowledges our status as eligible candidates.”
A spokesperson for the Deserving Teachers Rights Forum also expressed frustration, urging the government to fulfill its promise and officially clear the names of the affected candidates. The spokesperson further stressed that the uncertainty surrounding the teachers’ status must be resolved before they can resume their duties.
The protest highlights the ongoing tension between the West Bengal government and the affected teachers, who are seeking a resolution to the situation that has left them jobless and uncertain about their future. The WBSSC’s delay in publishing the list of eligible candidates has intensified the anger among the protestors, with many asserting that their livelihoods depend on the release of this information.
