2 weeks ago
SSC seeks fresh deadline as OBC quota change delays recruitment
A group called the School Service Commission is in charge of hiring schoolteachers in West Bengal.
The Supreme Court told them to finish the hiring by August 31.
But the state government changed the rules about how many jobs should be set aside for a group called OBC, or Other Backward Classes.
Earlier, 17% of jobs were reserved for them, but now it is only 7%.
Because the rules changed, the commission has to check and possibly redo the list of chosen candidates.
So the commission asked the Supreme Court for more time to finish the hiring.
The court will now decide whether to give more time and how much.
This all started because the court cancelled the appointments of 17,209 teachers in April 2025, saying the old hiring process was not fair.
Another 15,403 teachers can keep teaching and getting paid until August 2026 while the new hiring happens.
The School Service Commission has appealed to the Supreme Court for an extension of the August 31 deadline for completing schoolteacher recruitment.
The state's revised OBC reservation norms — 7% instead of the earlier 17% — have put the recruitment process on hold.
The Supreme Court set the August 31 deadline after cancelling the appointments of 17,209 teachers in April 2025, calling the 2016 selection process 'tainted beyond redemption.'
The court allowed 15,403 'untainted but terminated teachers' to continue teaching and drawing salaries until August 2026.
The appeal does not specify the extension period sought, leaving the decision on whether and for how long to extend to the court.
- Who
- The West Bengal School Service Commission (SSC), which has appealed to the Supreme Court; school education minister Dipak Barman; and the state government led by Mamata Banerjee.
- What
- A request for a fresh extension of the August 31 deadline for completing schoolteacher recruitment, because revised OBC reservation norms require a review of the recruitment panel.
- Where
- West Bengal, India; the appeal was filed with the Supreme Court of India.
- When
- The appeal is expected to be heard this week; the current deadline is August 31, and the OBC quota change was announced on May 18.
- Why
- The state's revised OBC reservation (7% instead of 17%) means the recruitment panel may have to be revisited and drawn afresh, so the process cannot be completed by August 31.
Key facts
- Current deadline
- August 31
- Original deadline
- December 31, 2025
- New OBC reservation
- 7%
- Earlier OBC reservation
- 17%
- Appointments cancelled
- 17,209 teachers (April 2025)
- Teachers allowed to continue
- 15,403 'untainted but terminated' teachers until August 2026
- Recruitment process initiated
- June 2025
- OBC quota change announced
- May 18
Quotes
Rakesh Alam
One of the 15,403 teachers whose appointment was deemed 'untainted' by the Supreme Court
“"While appealing for an extension of the deadline, the commission must also ensure that we continue to receive salaries until we manage to retain our jobs."”
telegraphindia.com
Sources
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