Did Over Three Lakh Candidates Appear for WBSSC's Teacher Exam Amid Tight Security?

Kolkata, Sep 7 (NationPress) The initial phase of the State Level Selection Test (SLST), organized by the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC), kicked off as planned on Sunday with 319,919 candidates participating in the examination, all under strict security measures and meticulous checks.

Among the participants, approximately 31,000 hail from other states, representing 10 percent of the total candidates, as per WBSSC sources.

The exam commenced at noon, following the distribution of question papers at 11:45 a.m., and concluded at 2 p.m.

Candidates with disabilities were afforded an additional half hour to complete their tests. No candidate was permitted to exit the examination hall until the session ended.

After enduring numerous court battles and persistent protests from candidates, the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC) finally conducted the State Level Selection Test (SLST) after a hiatus of nine years.

The second phase of the examination is scheduled for September 14, aimed at recruiting teachers for state-run educational institutions.

WBSSC indicates that the SLST is designed to fill 35,726 teaching positions for Classes 9-10 and 11-12. Specifically, 23,212 vacancies are for Classes 9 and 10, while 12,514 are for Classes 11 and 12.

The total number of applicants across both recruitment phases has surpassed 5.65 lakh.

This new examination arises in the wake of a significant teacher recruitment scandal that has shaken political circles in West Bengal. Numerous individuals, including former state Education Minister Partha Chatterjee, Trinamool MLA Jiban Krishna Saha, and a multitude of education department officials, were apprehended by central investigation agencies for engaging in extensive corruption to facilitate job placements for candidates in exchange for money and by tampering with OMR sheets.

These candidates had previously participated in the 2016 SLST exam, the last time the WBSSC conducted a recruitment exam for teaching positions.

On April 3, the Supreme Court annulled the appointments of approximately 26,000 teachers and non-teaching staff who were recruited under the 2016 selection process.

The new exams are being conducted following a directive from the Supreme Court, which also prohibited the previous panel's (2016) tainted and ineligible candidates from reapplying.

On August 30, WBSSC released the list of 1,806 tainted candidates who had obtained teaching positions through the recruitment scandal, as mandated by the Supreme Court.