Archive · 15 Aug 2026
West Bengal SSC teacher recruitment paused over 7% OBC reservation
Some people in India get extra help getting government jobs, like teaching jobs, because of a rule called reservation.
In West Bengal, the old government said 17 out of every 100 teaching jobs should go to people from a group called OBC.
The new government changed that number to 7 out of 100.
Because of this change, the people in charge of hiring teachers are confused about which number to use.
They decided to pause, or stop, the hiring process for now.
This pause means people waiting for teaching jobs have to wait even longer.
Some people who were already picked for jobs may not be picked again when a new list is made.
An important court called the Supreme Court said all hiring should be finished by August 31, which may now not happen.
The government leaders do not agree on the rules, so the teachers' future is uncertain.
School education minister Dipak Barman said the School Service Commission (SSC) postponed teacher hiring to comply with a backward classes welfare department decision to award 7% OBC reservation.
The department's August 7 notification states that recruitment notifications issued after a certain date will follow 7% OBC reservation instead of 17%.
The previous Trinamool government pursued 17% OBC quota, while the BJP government reduced it to 7% through a May 18 notification.
The SSC 'adjourned until further notice' counselling of candidates for Plus-II teaching jobs in government-aided schools, and the state education board kept police verification in abeyance.
The Supreme Court had fixed an August 31 recruitment deadline after cancelling the appointments of 17,209 teachers in April 2025.
A teaching job aspirant said the panel drawn on the 17% basis would be revisited and redrawn, so recruitment would not be completed by the deadline.
- Who
- West Bengal school education minister Dipak Barman, the School Service Commission (SSC), the backward classes welfare department, and the state secondary education board.
- What
- The SSC postponed the Plus-II teacher recruitment process, and the education board kept police verification in abeyance, due to the change in OBC reservation from 17% to 7%.
- When
- Announced in August 2026, following a backward classes welfare department notification issued on August 7.
- Where
- West Bengal, India.
- Why
- To comply with the backward classes welfare department's decision that recruitments will follow 7% OBC reservation instead of the 17% quota followed earlier.
State government (BJP) — 7% quota
Trinamool Congress/supporters of 17% quota
OBC reservation percentage
State government (BJP) — 7% quota
The revised reservation policy of 7% OBC quota applies to the ongoing recruitment, following opinions sought from the advocate general and the solicitor general of India.
Trinamool Congress/supporters of 17% quota
The 17% OBC reservation pursued by the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool government should apply because the recruitment process was initiated under its tenure in June last year.
Recruitment timeline and candidates
State government (BJP) — 7% quota
The recruitment process must be put on hold so the commission can comply with the new reservation policy and ensure the panel is lawful.
Trinamool Congress/supporters of 17% quota
The pause means recruitment will not be completed by the Supreme Court's August 31 deadline, and empanelled candidates may lose their places when the panel is drawn afresh.
- New OBC reservation
- 7%
- Previous OBC reservation
- 17%
- Backward classes welfare department notification
- August 7
- BJP government notification on 7% quota
- May 18
- Recruitment process initiated
- June 16 last year
- Supreme Court recruitment deadline
- August 31
- Teachers whose appointments were cancelled
- 17,209 (April 2025)
- Recruitment level affected
- Plus-II teaching jobs in government-aided schools