West Bengal Teachers Protest After Job Losses Due to Supreme Court Ruling

In Kolkata, teachers who lost their jobs due to a Supreme Court ruling regarding recruitment irregularities in 2016 staged a protest that turned violent. They clashed with police after breaking into the education department's headquarters, demanding immediate reinstatement without retaking exams. The situation escalated as police intervened, resulting in injuries on both sides. The Supreme Court's decision affected around 25,000 teachers, leading to ongoing unrest as the dismissed educators seek clarity on their status and express frustration over the government's actions. This protest highlights the ongoing turmoil in West Bengal's education sector.

By Narendra Chaudhary May 16, 2025, 15:19 IST

Protests Erupt in Kolkata

Teachers in West Bengal, who were dismissed following a Supreme Court ruling in April regarding irregularities in the 2016 recruitment process, clashed with police during a protest in Kolkata on Thursday. They forcefully entered the state education department's headquarters, as reported by local news sources.

During the demonstration, the teachers allegedly held numerous education department employees inside the headquarters for over eight hours. Tensions escalated around 8 PM when police intervened, leading to a violent confrontation that resulted in injuries on both sides.

Reports indicate that law enforcement used batons against the protesters, causing several injuries among them. Some police officers were also hurt during the altercations.

On April 3, the Supreme Court upheld a previous ruling from the Calcutta High Court that annulled the appointments of approximately 25,000 teachers and non-teaching staff made by the West Bengal School Service Commission.

The court allowed 'untainted' teachers to remain in their positions until the academic year concludes or until new appointments are made, whichever comes first. However, this decision did not extend to Group C and Group D employees, whose appointments were also revoked.

Those identified as 'tainted' were ordered to return their salaries and were barred from future employment opportunities.

Since Wednesday, over 1,000 teachers, deemed 'not specifically tainted' and allowed to return to schools, have been protesting outside the education department's headquarters. They are demanding immediate reinstatement without the need for a new recruitment exam, arguing that the government has yet to finalize the list distinguishing 'tainted' from 'untainted' candidates.

Additionally, they are expressing their discontent with the School Education Department and the School Service Commission for allegedly filing a review petition with the Supreme Court without their input.

The High Court's directive in April 2024 was based on a re-evaluation of the Optical Mark Recognition sheets from the 2016 recruitment exam, which revealed that selected candidates had been appointed based on incomplete sheets.