Image Credit: Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Kolkata Teachers Protest Supreme Court Ruling on Job Terminations
In Kolkata, hundreds of school teachers and non-teaching staff have taken to the streets in protest after the Supreme Court upheld a verdict that invalidated the appointments of 25,753 individuals recruited through the 2016 School Service Commission (SSC) process. The apex court’s decision reaffirmed a 2024 Calcutta High Court judgment, which declared the recruitment process “vitiated and tainted.”
On April 10, nearly 500 affected individuals staged a protest march from Sealdah to Esplanade, voicing deep anguish over the sudden loss of employment. The protestors assert that the blanket termination of all candidates fails to distinguish between those who were legally recruited and those allegedly involved in malpractice. They have demanded that the government release the mirror images of all Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) sheets to ensure transparency in the recruitment process.
The situation became tense at the District Inspector of Schools’ office in Kasba, where a confrontation between protestors and police turned violent. A sub-inspector involved in the incident was removed from duty pending an inquiry after allegations of using excessive force. While the officer claimed he was provoked and attacked, several within the force reportedly criticized his response as disproportionate.
In reaction to the police action, a group of protestors began a relay hunger strike outside the SSC office in Salt Lake. Their demands include an impartial process to separate genuine candidates from those who may have benefited from irregularities, and the reinstatement of those found to be legitimate.
Support for the protestors has widened, with members of civil society and political figures joining the demonstrations. Among them is former Calcutta High Court judge and BJP Member of Parliament Abhijit Gangopadhyay, who has publicly shown solidarity with the affected teachers.
The protestors argue that this issue is not only about job security but also about protecting the credibility of public institutions. They believe the state’s failure to implement a transparent and just resolution is eroding faith in the education system and in recruitment processes as a whole.
As demonstrations continue, the aggrieved teachers and staff remain resolute in their call for justice, transparency, and a fair review that separates the innocent from the guilty. They have urged the government to take urgent corrective action to restore livelihoods and uphold the integrity of public service recruitment.
