Kolkata – Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced on Thursday that the ongoing teacher recruitment crisis in West Bengal would be addressed promptly, indicating that teachers labeled as ‘tainted’ may be reassigned to alternative positions. Speaking at the Shiksha Ratna programme held at the Dhono Dhanyo auditorium in Kolkata, Banerjee’s comments, which precede Teacher’s Day, have sparked criticism from groups advocating for ‘untainted’ educators.
“In recent years, many individuals have been unfairly labeled as ‘tainted and ineligible.’ I am exploring this situation through legal channels. While these candidates may not fulfill the role of teachers according to the court’s decree, we are considering whether they can be employed in Group C or D roles,” Banerjee stated.
The Chief Minister emphasized her government’s commitment to addressing the situation with compassion and asserted that the matter would not be politicized. She also assured that non-teaching staff who were dismissed following the Supreme Court’s order on April 3 would be allowed to participate in a new hiring process once the teacher recruitment is finalized.
Representatives of ‘untainted’ teachers voiced their concerns over these statements. Mehboob Mondal, a leader of the Jogyo Shikkhok Shikkhika Adhikar Mancha (JSSAM), expressed disappointment, saying, “The ‘untainted’ teachers and non-teaching staff who did not engage in corruption have been overlooked in this entire scenario. They are promising jobs to the ‘tainted’ candidates while many of us may struggle to pass the new exams, despite having already qualified in 2016.”
Following her comments, a group of ‘untainted’ teachers staged a protest outside the Legislative Assembly. Leader of the Opposition, BJP MLA Suvendu Adhikari, showed support for the demonstrators, remarking, “It is inconceivable for individuals who took exams in 2016 to compete with fresh candidates in 2025.” He had previously written to Chief Secretary Manoj Pant on September 1 to urge the reinstatement of ‘untainted’ teachers after the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC) released a list of ‘tainted’ candidates.
On the same day, the Supreme Court dismissed a petition from hundreds of ‘tainted’ candidates wishing to participate in the WBSSC’s new recruitment process. Earlier, the Calcutta High Court issued a similar judgment.
The WBSSC had published the names of 1,806 ‘tainted’ candidates on August 30 and 31, following a directive from the Supreme Court. The court mandated that these candidates be barred from the recruitment process; approximately 1,400 had submitted applications, and the corresponding admit cards have since been annulled.
On April 3, 2025, the Supreme Court upheld a Calcutta High Court ruling that invalidated nearly 26,000 teaching and non-teaching appointments in West Bengal, concluding that the 2016 recruitment process was “fraught with fraud and irregularities.” As a result, the entire panel was cancelled due to the government and the Commission’s inability to distinguish between ‘tainted’ and ‘untainted’ candidates.
The new recruitment examinations are set for September 7 and 14.
