KalimNews, Kolkata, April 22, 2025 : The ongoing protest outside the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC) office by jobless teachers and non-teaching staff demanding the publication of segregated lists of “genuine” and “tainted” candidates entered its third day on Tuesday, as the commission set a new deadline for the submission of these lists to the state Education Department by April 30.
However, the new deadline does not relate to the immediate publication of the lists, which had been promised to the protesters earlier. Instead, the WBSSC has proposed to send three separate lists to the Education Department by the end of the month. The first list will include candidates who are deemed “genuine” beyond any doubt, while the second list will identify those who are “tainted” due to irregularities. The third list will include candidates whose Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) sheets experienced technical errors during the examination.
In response to the growing protests, the WBSSC has instructed district inspectors of schools across the state to start compiling these lists immediately, a process that will continue in the coming days. The delay in publishing the lists had led to widespread frustration among the protesting teachers, many of whom have camped outside the WBSSC office in Salt Lake, demanding accountability and transparency.
The initial deadline set by the commission was Monday, but with no lists published by that time, the “genuine” candidates launched a sit-in protest on Monday evening, which continues to this day. The protesters have vowed not to leave until their demands are met.
West Bengal Education Minister Bratya Basu defended the delay in publishing the segregated lists, stating that the Supreme Court had never mandated the immediate release of such lists. He also emphasized that the decision not to publish the segregated list was based on legal advice. “We had told the job losers earlier that we would not proceed without proper legal consultation. The Supreme Court never ordered us to publish the list, and the best legal experts advised us on this matter,” Basu said in a press briefing on Tuesday afternoon.
The controversy stems from a Supreme Court ruling earlier this month, which upheld the Calcutta High Court’s decision to cancel the entire 2016 recruitment panel of 25,753 teaching and non-teaching staff. The court’s ruling pointed to the failure of the state government and WBSSC to segregate the “genuine” candidates from those who had allegedly obtained jobs through corrupt means, such as paying bribes.
Following the ruling, a delegation of “genuine” candidates met with Education Minister Bratya Basu, where the state government promised that the segregated lists would be published by April 21. However, the failure to meet this deadline sparked the ongoing protests.
Basu, however, assured that the state government has not yet terminated any employees or frozen salaries. He stressed that the government is working to protect the interests of the “genuine” candidates. “There are 17,2026 candidates who are not on the ‘tainted’ list. We are proceeding with this in mind, and I request the protesters not to do anything that could harm the review petition we have filed with the Supreme Court,” Basu said.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee also expressed her support for the jobless teachers, assuring that the state government is committed to safeguarding their interests. “The state education department is working diligently to protect the interests of the job losers, and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is firmly with them,” Basu added.
The protests, however, are expected to continue as the jobless candidates remain adamant in their demands for transparency and justice. With the issue now under review by the Supreme Court, the coming days will determine the next course of action for both the state government and the protesting teachers.
