Hundreds of West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC) aspirants staged a powerful demonstration in Kolkata, calling for a transparent recruitment process and the immediate release of government-aided school vacancies.

The protesters, who appeared for the State Level Selection Test (SLST) on September 7 and 14, gathered at Karunamoyee Metro station in Salt Lake before marching about a kilometre to Bikash Bhavan, the headquarters of the state education department.

Central to their protest is the controversial provision awarding 10 extra marks to teachers dismissed under a Supreme Court ruling but allowed to reappear in fresh recruitment exams. The Supreme Court had earlier ordered the dismissal of 25,753 teaching and non-teaching staff, terming the 2016 recruitment process “vitiated and tainted.”

Aspirants argued that the grace marks give undue advantage to reinstated teachers, putting new candidates at a disadvantage and undermining merit-based selection. They also demanded swift action to release pending vacancies so fresh recruitment can proceed fairly.

Non-teaching staff affected by the recruitment saga said they have been without salaries for six months, struggling to support their families.

The demonstrators emphasized their intent to meet the state education minister to present their objections, urging a recruitment process that is equitable, transparent, and strictly merit-driven.