Kolkata, Nov 21 (NationPress) A total of 26 candidates who successfully qualified for the interview in the written examination aimed at recruiting new higher secondary teachers for state-run schools in West Bengal have been discovered to have submitted forged experience certificates. These documents were presented to secure the 10-mark weightage for previous teaching experience.

This issue was revealed by the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC) during the ongoing scrutiny of documents related to academic qualifications and experience certificates, which commenced on November 18, according to an insider from the WBSSC.

The verification process is still ongoing. In light of the irregularities found in the documents of these 26 candidates, the commission has opted for a more meticulous examination of the past teaching experience records of all interview-qualified candidates.

This recruitment initiative is being undertaken to fill the vacancies resulting from the cancellation of approximately 26,000 school jobs by a Division Bench of the Supreme Court earlier this year. In its ruling delivered in April, the apex court prohibited all “tainted” teachers—those who had obtained jobs through bribery—from participating in the new recruitment cycle.

Two legal cases have already been lodged with the Calcutta High Court challenging the results of the written examination that were published earlier this month.

One petition accuses certain “tainted” candidates, previously identified for having paid bribes to secure school jobs, of qualifying for the interview, thus directly contravening the Supreme Court’s directive.

The second petition revolves around the request for consideration of teaching experience in state government-recognized private schools for the 10-mark weightage. Currently, this benefit is exclusively given to candidates with prior teaching experience in state-run schools, leading to calls for broader inclusion.

Investigations by various agencies have unveiled that thousands of jobs were reportedly allocated to ineligible candidates in exchange for monetary compensation, circumventing merit lists and official protocols.

Both the Calcutta High Court and the subsequent Supreme Court rulings annulled thousands of such appointments, labeling them illegal.

Numerous senior officials, middlemen, and political leaders have been arrested.