Mon Nov 17 20:19:00 UTC 2025: ## Kolkata Teacher Recruitment Sparks Fresh Protests Amidst Corruption Allegations
KOLKATA – Fresh protests erupted in Kolkata on Monday, November 17, 2025, over the ongoing teacher recruitment process for state-aided schools in West Bengal. Demonstrators are alleging irregularities in the selection process, particularly regarding the awarding of “work experience” credits and the inclusion of candidates previously implicated in a school recruitment scam.
The West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC) recently released a list of over 20,000 shortlisted candidates for teaching assistant interviews for classes 11 and 12. However, protesters claim that non-teaching work experience is being improperly credited, disadvantaging candidates with actual teaching experience.
“We have seen a lot of ‘tainted’ teachers’ names on the list,” said Chinmoy Mondal of the Deserving Teachers’ Rights Forum. “Many have also gotten extra 10 marks for their ‘work experience’ from other fields, though this was supposed to be reserved for only ‘teaching experience.’ We hope these mistakes are rectified.”
Candidates are also questioning how individuals barred by the Supreme Court from participating in the fresh hiring process were allowed to apply, receive admit cards, and sit for the exams. Some protestors state they hold full marks in their written test, yet were not admitted. They say many “untainted” teachers have been left out of the interview list. The demonstrators attempted to march to the State Education Department Headquarters to voice their concerns but were stopped by police.
“A lot of candidates who have worked for 5-6 years and have never taken part in any scam have been left out in the merit lists,” said Mehboob Mondal, another protesting teacher. “We have done no wrong, then why are we being scapegoated?”
State Education Minister Bratya Basu urged job seekers to trust the process, stating the document verification process will commence on November 18, 2025, exemplifying the government’s commitment to transparency and completing the recruitment by December.
The situation is further complicated by allegations from Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, who claims that Trinamool Congress MLA Jiban Krishna Saha, already arrested in connection with the school recruitment scam, is continuing to take bribes from jail to influence the current hiring process. Adhikari has called on the Enforcement Directorate to investigate and shared a video purportedly showing Mr. Saha taking bribes, the authenticity of which remains unverified.
The merit lists for classes 9 and 10 are still pending. The recruitment process aims to reinstate 15,403 “untainted” teachers whose jobs were annulled following a Supreme Court order in April that cancelled the 2016 panel due to irregularities. The court mandated that the hiring be completed by December 31.
The protests underscore the ongoing controversy and deep distrust surrounding the teacher recruitment process in West Bengal.
First Piper 