2 hrs ago
‘Untainted’ Teachers March in Salt Lake to Reclaim Jobs
A group of teachers who were removed from their jobs held a march in Salt Lake.
They say they were not involved in the hiring problems that caused the recruitment panel to be cancelled.
The School Service Commission identified 15,403 teachers as “untainted.”
Even so, the teachers had to take another test to keep their jobs.
They want the government to restore their jobs without making them go through another uncertain process.
They also object to new rules changing the OBC reservation system.
The government says it will appoint teachers while following court orders.
The Supreme Court has said the new recruitment process must be finished by May 31, 2027.
Teachers identified as “untainted” marched from Karunamoyee to Bikash Bhavan demanding restoration of their jobs.
The protesters said Suvendu Adhikari had promised in Opposition to protect eligible teachers’ employment.
The Calcutta High Court scrapped a 17,209-teacher recruitment panel in April 2024, a decision upheld by the Supreme Court in April 2025.
The School Service Commission identified 15,403 candidates as untainted, but they were still required to take a fresh selection test.
Protesters say revised OBC quota rules have disrupted recruitment, which the Supreme Court ordered completed by May 31, 2027.
- Who
- The 15,403 teachers identified as “untainted,” supported by the Deserving Teachers Rights Forum.
- What
- They marched and demanded restoration of their teaching jobs and a resolution protecting eligible candidates.
- Where
- From Karunamoyee to Bikash Bhavan in Salt Lake.
- When
- The march took place on Monday; the recruitment process is to be completed by May 31, 2027.
- Why
- They say revised OBC quota rules have made their recruitment uncertain despite their identification as untainted.
Teachers’ demands
Government’s position
Restoring jobs
Teachers’ demands
The teachers want the government to restore the jobs of candidates already identified as untainted and ask the Supreme Court to permit this.
Government’s position
The government says teachers will be appointed while it follows High Court and Supreme Court orders.
Fresh selection process
Teachers’ demands
Protesters say requiring untainted candidates to take a fresh test is unnecessary and that recruitment remains stalled.
Government’s position
The Supreme Court directed untainted teachers to participate in fresh selection tests to retain their jobs.
OBC reservation rules
Teachers’ demands
The teachers say revised OBC rules introduced during the process have disrupted recruitment and created new uncertainty.
Government’s position
Suvendu Adhikari said the OBC quota was reduced from 17% to 7% because the earlier system reflected “appeasement politics,” and that excluded groups had been removed from the category.
Key facts
- Protesting group
- Deserving Teachers Rights Forum
- Terminated teachers
- 17,209 teachers were included in the cancelled recruitment panel.
- Candidates identified as untainted
- 15,403 candidates were identified by the School Service Commission on April 21, 2025.
- Court ruling
- The Calcutta High Court cancelled the panel on April 22, 2024, and the Supreme Court upheld the decision on April 3, 2025.
- Fresh selection deadline
- The Supreme Court ordered the recruitment process to be completed by May 31, 2027.
- OBC quota change
- The government reduced the OBC quota in government jobs from 17% to 7%, according to the article.
Quotes
Mehboob Mandal
A teacher among the 15,403 candidates classified as untainted.
“The recruitment process has remained stuck. By introducing new OBC norms midway through the fresh selection process, the government has disrupted the process initiated by the Mamata Banerjee government. We want the BJP government to appoint the untainted candidates and move a petition before the Supreme Court.”
telegraphindia.com
“There is a list of the untainted candidates. When Suvendu was the leader of the Opposition last year, he said he would ensure that they got back their teaching jobs.”
telegraphindia.com
Suvendu Adhikari
Chief minister and former Opposition leader quoted after meeting eligible teachers.
“If we presume that is the actual number, the government should have no problem publishing the names of eligible candidates. We want the government to bring a resolution to retain the jobs of those eligible teachers; we will unanimously support it.”
telegraphindia.com
Sources
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