WBSSC Releases Interview List for 20,000 Candidates
The West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC) has published a list of more than 20,000 candidates who will be called for interviews for assistant teacher positions in government-aided higher secondary schools. The list, released on Saturday evening, marks a significant step in the long-delayed recruitment process that has been closely watched across the state.
According to commission officials, the selection criteria for the interview shortlist included multiple parameters. The written test accounted for 60 marks, while academic performance in postgraduate examinations contributed 10 marks. Additionally, in-service teachers who appeared for the selection tests received up to 10 marks for their teaching experience.
Fresh Controversy Erupts Over Excluded Candidates
Despite the progress in the recruitment process, the publication of the interview list has ignited fresh controversy. Several untainted teachers who lost their jobs following the Supreme Court's cancellation of the 2016 SSC panel have found themselves excluded from the current interview list.
These candidates, who had been working for five to six years before losing their positions due to the recruitment scandal, now face an uncertain future. Although results for assistant teacher posts for Class 9 and 10 are still pending, the absence of their names from the higher secondary list has raised serious concerns.
Chinmoy Mondol, one of the affected candidates, expressed his frustration: "I have appeared for the Class 9-10 examination also, now that is my only hope. But the question is, what will happen to those whose names do not appear in any of the lists? We have been working for five to six years… we lost our jobs due to the state government, what was our fault?"
Prominent Protesters Missing from List
The published interview list reveals that names of some prominent faces among the protesting untainted candidates are conspicuously absent. Suman Biswas, another well-known figure in the SSC protest movement, also failed to find his name in the selection.
"There are a lot of fresh candidates whose names are there… What will happen to us now?" Biswas questioned, highlighting the anxiety among the experienced teachers who have been displaced.
Interestingly, Mehaboob Mondol, another untainted candidate who had lost his job, managed to secure a place in the interview round. However, he expressed concern for his colleagues: "My name is there, but many of my colleagues' names are not there. What about them, what about their future?"
Recruitment Details and Timeline
The WBSSC had declared the results for the State Level Selection Test (SLST) for assistant teacher posts for classes 11 and 12 on November 7. This recruitment drive marks the first such exercise in nearly nine years, addressing long-standing vacancies in the education sector.
According to the commission's recruitment plan, 23,312 candidates will be recruited for assistant teacher posts for Classes 9-10, while 12,514 positions are available in the higher secondary section. The current interview list covers candidates for the 12,454 vacancies in the higher secondary section.
A senior WBSSC official indicated that the interview schedule will be announced shortly, with document verification for shortlisted candidates likely to begin on November 18. The complete candidates list is available on the WBSSC official website for public access.
The development comes against the backdrop of the Supreme Court's April order that terminated the jobs of 25,753 teaching and non-teaching staff in government-aided schools at secondary and higher secondary levels across West Bengal. Following an appeal from the state secondary education board, the court later ruled that untainted teachers would continue receiving salaries until December.
