In a major development following the Supreme Court’s order to cancel the entire 2016 School Service Commission (SSC) recruitment panel due to large-scale corruption and malpractice, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday announced that a fresh recruitment notification will be published on 30 May.
Speaking at Nabanna, the state secretariat, Mamata clarified that the decision was in strict adherence to the apex court’s directive, which mandates the publication of a new recruitment advertisement and submission of an affidavit by 31 May.
According to Mamata, a total of 44,203 vacancies will be filled through the new recruitment process. This includes 23,210 teacher posts for classes IX and X, 12,514 teacher posts for classes XI and XII, 2,989 posts in Group C and 5,488 posts in Group D.
In addition, 11,517 new teacher posts have been created for classes IX and X and 6,912 for classes XI and XII. Group C and D posts have also seen an expansion, with 571 new Group C and 1,000 new Group D positions being added.
The application window will open on 16 June and continue until 14 July. The examination process and result publication are expected to be completed by 15 November, with counselling beginning on 20 November.
The Chief Minister emphasised that the state government was bound by the legal framework and had no choice but to comply with the Supreme Court’s ruling.
“Whether we run the government or live elsewhere, we must abide by the Constitution and the law,” she said, adding, “If we take steps beyond the legal scope, the court may view it unfavourably.”
However, she revealed that the state government has filed a review petition in the Supreme Court, requesting that currently employed candidates from the cancelled panel be allowed to continue working. “If the review petition is successful and no one’s job is cancelled, then this entire process of fresh recruitment may no longer be required,” she added.
Observers believe that Mamata chose to personally announce the recruitment details in an effort to clarify the government’s compulsion to follow the court’s directive and to soften the blow for thousands of candidates and employees affected by the panel cancellation.
Her briefing was seen as a move to assure the public that the government is actively working within the legal framework while also seeking remedies for those impacted.
As the Supreme Court is currently on summer vacation, a ruling on the review petition is still pending. Meanwhile, the recruitment process will proceed in compliance with the Court’s stipulated deadline.
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