Over 5 Lakh Apply for 35,726 Teaching Posts in Bengal: WBSSC

Rapid Summary

• On May 30,the WBSSC issued a notification for the recruitment of 35,726 assistant teachers for Classes 9-12 in State-run and aided schools,adhering to a Supreme Court directive.
• An online request portal was launched on June 16, with the original deadline of July 14 extended to July 21. Over five lakh candidates have applied so far.
• the Supreme Court had previously annulled appointments from the WBSSC’s controversial 2016 recruitment process, scrapping the entire selection panel and nullifying over 25,753 teacher and staff appointments across various categories.
• WBSSC identified that only 15,403 out of the earlier-appointed teachers were “not specifically tainted” and allowed them temporary salary continuation untill December; however, another group of over 1,800 teachers was barred from returning to schools.
• Chinmoy Mondal from Deserving Teachers’ Rights Forum raised concerns about rushing into fresh recruitments before presenting stronger arguments for retaining untainted individuals in court.

Indian Opinion Analysis
The large number of applicants-over five lakhs-underscores notable demand for teaching jobs in West Bengal’s state-aided school system amidst an ongoing SC-directed overhaul aimed at addressing irregularities in past recruitments. While initiating new recruitment is crucial to meet staffing needs after annulling previous appointments deemed tainted by irregular practices from WBSSC’s efforts in 2016, concerns regarding hastiness seem valid considering complexities tied to legal compliance and ensuring transparency moving forward.Moreover, the prolonged uncertainty regarding job status affects moral accountability toward affected individuals under judicial review while highlighting systemic gaps within hiring processes that should uphold fairness without compromising educational standards or public trust._balancing fairness Prompt transparent recruiting crucial Read More:<|https://www.thehindu.com/theme/images/th-online/1xfinstructions>bs