Protests Erupt in Kolkata Over Delayed Teacher Recruitment and Marking Issues

In Kolkata, job aspirants rallied on a significant day when the West Bengal School Service Commission was set to release the SLST results for teaching positions in classes 9-10. The protests focused on allegations of illegal mark allotment and recruitment delays, highlighting ongoing turmoil in the state's educational sector.

Thousands of new SSC aspirants marched from Sealdah Station, clashing with police as they attempted to breach barricades to reach the Esplanade area, their intended destination. The unrest stemmed from police denying permission for the planned route to the Y-channel in Esplanade, instead redirecting protesters to Ramleela Maidan, which they refused.

As of the latest updates, the aspirants were engaged in a sit-in at the Esplanade crossing, causing significant traffic disruptions in the area. Their demands included the elimination of 10 marks awarded for experience to previously appointed teachers whose panel was annulled by the court, public access to OMR sheets, and the creation of 100,000 new teaching positions.

One protester expressed frustration, stating, "We will continue our agitation against the unlawful 10 marks. We worked day and night to pay for the exam application fee, yet we find ourselves ineligible despite scoring full marks." The controversial 10 marks for experience has ignited significant discontent among new candidates and is currently under scrutiny in both the Supreme Court and the Calcutta High Court.

Separately, hundreds from the 2016 Upper Primary batch marched from Karunamoyee crossing in Salt Lake to Bikash Bhaban, the state education department’s headquarters, demanding completion of a long-delayed appointment process. Despite results being declared nearly a decade ago, they allege that the recruitment of 14,052 candidates remains incomplete, with 1,241 qualified aspirants still awaiting appointments.

The protesters claimed that the final step of counselling had not been conducted, despite a Supreme Court directive setting a November 20 deadline. One protester remarked, "This is a contempt of the Supreme Court order. We are being sent back and forth between authorities, with no clear resolution in sight."