In a significant development, the Supreme Court of India has granted a major extension to the West Bengal School Service Commission (SSC) for completing the long-pending recruitment of teachers. The new deadline is now August 31, 2026, providing a substantial eight-month extension from the previous cutoff of December 31 this year.
Why the Extension Was Sought
Appearing before the apex court, SSC's counsel, Kalyan Banerjee, presented a compelling case. He argued that multiple ongoing litigations had severely hampered the interview and document verification processes, especially for higher secondary posts. Furthermore, interviews for secondary-level teachers had not even commenced.
The Bengal education department supported this plea, highlighting an imminent academic crisis. They informed the court that the new school year begins on January 1, with secondary exams starting February 2. The crucial fourth semester higher secondary exams are scheduled from February 12.
The state warned that if 13,000 teachers currently working were to stop attending schools during this critical period due to unresolved recruitment status, the entire education system would face severe disruption. School examinations and the evaluation of answer scripts for both secondary and higher secondary boards would also be badly affected.
Revised Recruitment Timeline and Reactions
According to SSC sources, the commission will now be in a position to start sending recommendation letters for recruitment to classes 11-12 from January 16 at the earliest. For classes 9-10, the process could extend until the end of March.
Following the favorable order, State Education Minister Bratya Basu stated that the extension allows previous teachers to continue working seamlessly. He emphasized that the directive underscores the SSC's commitment to transparency and accountability.
The West Bengal Board of Secondary Education welcomed the decision, calling it a "forward-looking decision taken in the interest of students and the school system of Bengal."
Mixed Feelings Among Teachers and Legal Fraternity
The court's decision has brought temporary relief to thousands of teachers whose jobs were in limbo. Chinmoy Mandal, one of the affected teachers, expressed that eligible educators should not suffer for others' faults. While appreciating the temporary relief, he stressed the need for permanent job security and respect.
Echoing this sentiment, teacher Rakesh Alam noted that the order is not a permanent solution. He urged the state government to expedite the recruitment process and find a lasting resolution.
However, not all views were supportive. Senior lawyer Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya, who opposed the extension, cautioned that prolonging the deadline might slow down the recruitment further. He remarked that the court has given its verdict and only time will tell the outcome.
The Supreme Court's intervention has thus averted an immediate crisis in Bengal's schools, but the focus now shifts to ensuring the SSC utilizes this extended timeframe effectively to finalize the appointments and bring stability to the education sector.
