Now Reading: West Bengal ‘untainted’ teachers protest as counselling halted
-
01
West Bengal ‘untainted’ teachers protest as counselling halted
Around 15,403 'untainted' teachers who lost their jobs in the West Bengal school recruitment scam resumed protests in Kolkata on Wednesday after their reappointment counselling was adjourned indefinitely. The West Bengal Central…
The Story in Brief
Around 15,403 'untainted' teachers who lost their jobs in the West Bengal school recruitment scam resumed protests in Kolkata on Wednesday after their reappointment counselling was adjourned indefinitely. The West Bengal Central School Service Commission on August 11 suspended the counselling process for candidates empanelled under the 2025 selection test, which was scheduled to begin August 14. Most of these teachers had cleared the new exam ordered by the Supreme Court and were awaiting final appointments.
The protestors demand that the state government honour promises made by chief minister Suvendu Adhikari before he came to power. The situation has been complicated by the new government reducing OBC reservation from 17% to 7%, even though the exam was held under the old rules. The 'untainted' teachers were cleared of corruption but had to retake the exam after the Supreme Court scrapped their 2016 appointments over irregularities.
The Indian Opinion
The 'untainted' teachers' plight tugs at heartstrings, but two narratives demand scrutiny. One is the state government's claim that bureaucrats stalled the process unfairly, yet the notification came from the School Service Commission, not directly from ministers. The other is that all 15,403 candidates are blameless victims. Courts found systemic irregularities in the original recruitment, not individual guilt. A concrete test: watch the August 14 counselling date. If it passes without resumption, the government must explain which specific procedural hurdle needed more than a month to clear, not just blame previous administrations.
Source: thehindu.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
