Protests broke out outside the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC) office in Salt Lake area of Kolkata, on Monday (April 22, 2025) after the agency did not publish a promised list differentiating between “tainted” and “untainted” candidates from the controversial 2016 recruitment drive.
State Education Minister Bratya Basu had previously assured that the WBSSC would release the crucial list on April 21. When the list was not made available after several hours on Monday, hundreds of affected candidates gathered and staged a protest outside the Commission’s office.
The situation follows the April 3 Supreme Court order upholding a Calcutta High Court decision that cancelled the recruitment of approximately 26,000 teachers and non-teaching staff in State-run schools due to irregularities in the 2016 selection process conducted by the WBSSC.
Subsequently, on April 17, the Supreme Court allowed teachers deemed “untainted” to continue in service temporarily, until December 31, 2025, or until a fresh recruitment process is completed. Those identified as “tainted” face dismissal, must return salaries received, and are barred from future recruitments. This ruling intensified the focus on the WBSSC list needed to identify individuals in each category.
According to reports, a group of affected teachers met WBSSC chairperson Siddhartha Majumdar regarding the list’s publication. Following the meeting, indications emerged, though not officially confirmed by the WBSSC, that recruitments made through the first three counselling rounds were considered valid, while those from the subsequent five rounds were deemed invalid.
Hundreds of teachers laid siege around the WBSSC office and said they will continue with protests as long as the “certified” list of “tainted” and “untainted” candidates is released by WBSSC. The teachers demanded resignation of Bratya Basu and WBSSC chairman Siddhartha Majumdar. A large number of police was deployed outside the WBSSC office to contain the situation. Hundreds of teachers laid siege outside the WBSSC office, vowing to persist until the official list is released. They demanded the resignations of Education Minister Bratya Basu and WBSSC Chairperson Siddhartha Majumdar. A significant police contingent was deployed to maintain order.
