Sun May 18 10:32:08 UTC 2025: **Summary:**
School teachers in West Bengal, India, who lost their jobs following a Supreme Court verdict invalidating 25,753 appointments in the 2016 West Bengal School Service Commission (SSC) examination, continued their protest for the fourth day outside the Education Department headquarters in Salt Lake. Approximately 1,000 teachers demanded reinstatement, a meeting with the Education Minister, and inclusion of their views in the state government’s review petition to the Supreme Court. The protests have been ongoing, with clashes between protesters and police resulting in injuries and notices served to some teachers for investigation. Teachers vow to continue until their demands are met.
**News Article:**
**West Bengal Teachers’ Protest Enters Fourth Day Amidst Demands for Reinstatement**
**Kolkata, May 18, 2025** – Hundreds of school teachers who lost their jobs following a recent Supreme Court ruling invalidating the 2016 West Bengal School Service Commission (SSC) examination appointments continued their protest outside the West Bengal Education Department headquarters in Salt Lake for the fourth consecutive day on Sunday.
The protesting teachers, numbering around 1,000 and representing the Deserving Teachers Rights Forum, are demanding immediate reinstatement to their positions. The Supreme Court had previously deemed the recruitment process “vitiated and tainted,” leading to the invalidation of 25,753 appointments.
“We will not leave this spot,” declared Chinmoy Mondal, a representative of the forum, adding that the protesters would remain until Education Minister Bratya Basu assures them that they will not have to take the exam again and that their perspectives are included in the state government’s review petition to the Supreme Court.
The protests have been marked by visible displays of desperation, with reports of teachers checking student answer scripts and sweeping the protest site. Demonstrators are also calling for legal and administrative measures to reinstate them with immediate effect.
Tensions flared earlier in the week, with clashes between the teachers and police on May 15 resulting in injuries to several protesters, including women. Some teachers have also reportedly received notices to appear at police stations in connection with investigations into the clashes.
Despite the ongoing unrest, Deputy Commissioner of Police Anish Sarkar said earlier in the week that police had pleaded with the teachers to allow stranded education department employees to return home, highlighting the disruption caused by the continued agitation.
The protesting teachers remain determined, vowing to “snatch win and justice from the corrupt administration.” The situation remains tense as the teachers await a response from the state government.
First Piper 