Teachers in Kolkata have continued their protest for the 11th consecutive day outside Bikash Bhawan, demanding justice in the wake of the Supreme Court’s ruling that declared the appointment process in the West Bengal School Service Commission (SSC) recruitment case as “tainted.”
The protest, which has drawn hundreds of teachers, comes after the apex court’s judgment that 26,000 teaching positions were improperly filled, leading to the termination of thousands of jobs.
The court directed the state government to initiate a fresh recruitment process by the end of the year.
Earlier, West Bengal Leader of the Opposition and BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari voiced support for the protesting teachers, saying, “We are supporting them (SSC teachers) in their protest. Their demands are legitimate. Mamata Banerjee is the main culprit for creating this problem in the state. Mamata Banerjee is incompetent; she should go. From the RG Kar movement to this teacher movement, the BJP’s stand is clear, we are supporting them. The monsoon session of the assembly will begin from June 9. These issues should be resolved there and if it does not happen then the assembly should be closed.”
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The protest turned violent on Wednesday night, with several teachers reportedly injured in a clash with police. Officers resorted to a lathi charge to disperse the crowd, intensifying tensions outside the government building.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, reacting to the Supreme Court’s ruling, assured that the matter would be resolved within the year.
“The Supreme Court has allowed the teachers to continue till December 2025. We were worried how the salaries will be paid to them. Last time, it was said that salaries cannot be paid. We had assured them that they would not face any trouble. We have got time till December. Within this year, the matter will be resolved,” she said on April 17.
The Supreme Court, in its order, allowed teachers whose appointments were untainted to continue until fresh selections are completed, providing a temporary reprieve to some. However, the court refused to grant a similar extension to teaching staff in Groups C and D, citing a higher proportion of “tainted” candidates in those categories.
The apex court also directed the West Bengal government and the state SSC to issue fresh recruitment advertisements for assistant teachers by May 31 and complete the selection process by December 31, emphasising the need to ensure that students’ education is not disrupted.
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