Since Monday, thousands of fired educators and school employees have besieged the Salt Lake office of the education service commission, demonstrating against the government’s inability to release a list that separates those who are “specifically tainted” from those who are not.
The district inspectors of schools received lists of fired teachers who were “not specifically found to be tainted” from the Bengal education department on Tuesday.
According to an official, the inspectors were expected to provide the names to the district headmasters so that the teachers on the list could resume their jobs. There are reportedly 15,400 names on the list. The government doesn’t seem eager to release the list, though.
In an email dated April 22, 2025, the West Bengal School Service Commission sent the lists of assistant teachers who were hired for Classes IX and X and Classes XI and XII through the corresponding SLST 2016 selection procedure and who were not determined to be notably tainted. A letter signed by the school education commissioner stated, “The lists are forwarded for taking necessary action.”
According to a Supreme Court order, the notification starts the process for the fired teachers to return to their jobs.
Since Monday, thousands of fired educators and school employees have besieged the Salt Lake office of the school service commission in protest of the government’s unwillingness to release a list that separates those who are “specifically tainted” from those who are not.
After meeting with officials inside the office on Tuesday, a group of the teachers who were protesting promised to keep up their demonstration.
Mamata Banerjee, the chief minister, had earlier in the day urged the fired teachers to cease their protests and return to their jobs. Additionally, she gave them her word that they would still receive their pay.
“What is causing you to sit in this heat?” You return to school. The Supreme Court halted your salaries and eliminated your jobs. To ensure that you receive your pay, we filed a petition. At a government event in West Midnapore, the chief minister stated, “The salary will be sent to you in accordance with the system.”
According to Mamata, the state administration is probably going to submit a review petition to the Supreme Court.
The appointments of 25,753 teaching and non-teaching school employees who were chosen through the 2016 selection exam were canceled in bulk by the supreme court on April 3, claiming that the entire procedure had been “vitiated.” The Supreme Court granted permission on April 17 for the fired teachers who were “not specifically found to be tainted” to stay in their positions until December 31, at which point a new hiring procedure must be finished.
However, the employees of Group C and Group D, some of whom have been protesting outside the state secondary school board’s office, were not granted this relief by the highest court.
“Avoid letting anyone provoke you. Let’s get legal advice for the Group C and D positions that have been canceled. If another review petition is required, we will most certainly submit it. Those who took away your jobs are not to be trusted. Mamata advised having faith in those who were able to restore your jobs and in others who will be able to do so in the days ahead.
According to Basu, the Supreme Court has not mentioned any such list, and leading attorneys, who are the ones the fired employees want to represent them in court, have advised against publicizing one.
He seemed to imply that the state administration was dedicated to safeguarding the interests of both teaching personnel and non-teaching staff, and that it had a clear concept of how many teachers could return to work and get their pay.
He was repeating Mamata’s earlier-in-the-day request that the demonstrators cease contemplating “tainted and untainted candidates.”
My phone call lasted until midnight. There are demonstrators who are inflexible. They are calling for the publication of a list that distinguishes between the candidates who are tainted and those who are not. What’s bothering you? Why do other people provoke you? You don’t have to get engaged in determining who is and isn’t tainted. The state government is in charge of it. It is the responsibility of the court. You’re employed. You must hold onto it. You must receive your pay on time. “Leave other matters to us,” she said.
“We must follow the law. However, the legislation creates opportunities. I will not tolerate an increase in unemployment in my state. Teachers, I would like you to go back to school and start teaching again without any concerns. You don’t need to consider your pay. Within the bounds of the law, the state government will work for you. You must remember, however, that those who are inciting you will not pay you. The chief minister declared, “The government will.”
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