The West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC) has issued a notification for the recruitment of 35,726 assistant teachers in classes 9–10 and 11–12 in state-aided and government-sponsored schools, in adherence to the Supreme Court’s directive to initiate the process by May 31.

According to the notice uploaded late Thursday night on the official WBSSC website, the recruitment will include 23,212 posts for classes 9–10 and 12,514 posts for classes 11–12.

In a significant clause, the notice stipulated the age limit from 21 to 40 years.

Online applications will be accepted from June 16 to July 14, with the written examination scheduled for the first week of September.

“Upper age limit is, however, relaxed by 5 years for scheduled caste/scheduled tribe candidates, 3 years for backward class candidates and 8 years for physically handicapped candidates,” the notice said.

Candidates will be given carbon copies of OMR (Optical Mark Recognition) sheets, while the WBSSC will preserve scanned images of OMR sheets for 10 years.

Merit panels will be prepared subject-wise, medium-wise, gender-wise, category-wise on the basis of marks obtained in the written test, oral interview and lecture demonstration. It will be published on the official website, the notice said.

Referring to the April 3 verdict of the SC and the subsequent order on April 17, the SSC said, “The commission and government of West Bengal have already applied for review of the said judgment and order and this exercise is strictly subject to the outcome of the review petition and guidelines of the Hon’ble court to be followed by the commission and the government.”

“The notification is being issued for conducting 2nd State level selection test (SLST) for posts of assistant teachers for classes 9 and 10 in government-aided, government-sponsored secondary and higher secondary schools and to the posts of assistant teachers for classes 11 and 12 in government-aided, government-sponsored higher secondary schools,” it said.

The entire process is being carried out strictly without prejudice in rights and contention of the state, commission and the Board in their pending review petitions in the SC and without intending to create any empathy or right to any party who may choose to participate in the process, it added.

“The commission reserves its right to cancel, withdraw, rescind or amend the selection process or the terms and conditions thereof at any time hereafter without assigning any reason,” the notice said, alluding to any future development on the legal front before the exams.

Despite the announcement, protestors under the Deserving Teachers Rights Forum, whose appointments were cancelled, have vowed to continue their agitation.

“This notice offers nothing new. Preparing for a fresh exam at such short notice is unrealistic. We are not ready to go through this trauma again,” said forum spokesperson Mehboob Mandal.

Another forum leader Chinmoy Mondal said, “Our protests will continue and intensify in the coming days.”

A bench comprising Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar had on April 3 upheld the Calcutta High Court verdict of April 22, 2024, invalidating the appointment of teachers and staffers in the state-run and aided schools, terming the entire selection process “vitiated and tainted”.

On April 17, the top court extended till December 31 the services of the terminated teachers found untainted by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), after taking note of the state secondary board’s submissions that the mass terminations have adversely impacted teaching in the schools.

The Supreme Court had earlier said the advertisement for fresh recruitment will be published on or before May 31, and the entire process, including the examination, will be completed by December 31.

The court asked the state government to file a compliance affidavit on the initiation of the recruitment process on or before May 31. 

Also read: WB to issue notification for fresh recruitment complying with SC order: Mamata Banerjee