Over 91 pc of 3.19 lakh candidates appear for Bengal SSC teacher job exam for classes 9-10

Kolkata, Sep 7 (PTI) Around 91 per cent of the 3.19 lakh candidates appeared for the West Bengal SSC School Level Selection Test (SLST) on Sunday, the first teacher recruitment exam since the Supreme Court scrapped over 26,000 jobs in government-run schools in April.

The exam, which began at noon, was held amidst tight security across 636 centres statewide.

WBSSC chairman Siddhartha Majumdar said in a statement: "Around 91 per cent of the 3.19 lakh candidates wrote the papers. I thank the entire state administration for its fullest support to enable us to conduct the exams in a smooth manner." The exam was held for recruitment to assistant teacher posts for classes 9 and 10. Notably, several candidates from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh also participated.

Majumdar said the number of total outstation candidates was more than 31,000.

Umesh Yadav, a candidate from Uttar Pradesh, said he had secured masters in science and was trying his luck in West Bengal.

A three-tier security system was in place at exam centres, including naka checking 100 metres from the venue, and multiple checks at the gates and on the premises.

Considering the security measures, candidates were asked to turn up at the centres from 10 am onwards, two hours before the start of the exam.

Barcode scanners were used to check admit cards at entrances, and only pens -- also made available at centres -- were permitted inside.

No electronic devices or mobile phones were allowed, and even venue supervisors and SSC officials were barred from carrying phones into exam halls.

The WBSSC has embedded certain unique identification security features on each question paper to monitor candidates resorting to unfair means.

Coming out of the examination hall at Basanti Devi college centre here, Satabdi Kanjilal said, "The questions were easy and we did not face difficulties in solving." Asked about the nine year delay in conducting the exams and the issue of tainted and untainted, she said, "I don't wish to get into all these things. The exams have been held finally, I hope in a fair manner. Since my age won't permit to sit for the tests again by next year, I am pinning all my hopes this time to crack it," she said.

Another candidate, Satarupa Banerjee, said: "Though I am happy with my performance, I’m scared about the extra 10 grace marks being given to the untainted teachers who lost their jobs and are now retaking the exam." Leader of Deserving Jobless Teachers Rights Forum, Subrata Biswas, who also sat for the exams during the day, said, "It was an embarrassing moment for us, the untainted teachers, who took the exam again with our students instead of acting as invigilators. The WBSSC and state government are responsible for the situation." Meanwhile, Trinamool Congress spokesperson Kunal Ghosh attacked the BJP, stating that candidates from states with "double-engine governments", such as Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, travelled to the state to take the exam, as recruitment processes in their home states were either stalled or unreliable.

Taking to X, Ghosh wrote in Bengali that job-seekers from "Yogi Rajya" and other states were taking the West Bengal's SSC exams as they faced repeated postponements and lack of opportunities in their own states.

He further stressed that West Bengal has never barred non-residents from writing state recruitment tests.

"No one has said Bengal's exams are only for Bengalis. No one harassed or insulted them. No one stopped them," he said.

CPI(M) leader Shatarup Ghosh remarked that the TMC government would now get a chance to get "cut money" from candidates of other states as well.

To facilitate movement of SLST candidates, Metro Railways ran services from 9 am.

The exam is being conducted after around 26,000 school teachers and non-teaching staffers lost their jobs as per the direction of the Supreme Court, which stated that their recruitment process held in 2016 was "tainted and vitiated".

Another 2.46 lakh candidates will sit for the recruitment test of assistant teachers of classes 11 and 12 at 478 centres on September 14, the WBSSC chairman said.

The apex court had directed the WBSSC to ensure that teachers who were identified as having got their jobs through unscrupulous means are not allowed to appear in this recruitment process.

Subsequently, the names of 1,806 such 'tainted' teachers were announced by the WBSSC.

In a message to the candidates, state Education Minister Bratya Basu said, "Candidates appeared across 636 centres for assistant teacher recruitment exam (classes 9–10), which was conducted successfully. My sincere congratulations to all candidates, WBCSSC, school education department, and all officials involved." He added, "The entire administration also looks forward for extending all possible support to ensure that next Sunday's examination for recruiting assistant teachers for classes 11–12 is conducted with utmost security, clarity and transparency." PTI SUS BSM ACD MNB