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WBSSC updates database of ‘tainted’ teachers but their schoolhouse names not disclosed. Image: IANS
The West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC) connected Thursday released a freshly expanded database of 1,806 “tainted” candidates from the 2016 State Level Selection Test (SLST), marking different section successful a recruitment catastrophe that has already triggered wide cancellations, arrests, CBI chargesheets and Supreme Court intervention.
According to the latest PTI report, the updated database present includes afloat identifiers—names, parents’ names, subjects, rotation numbers and dates of birth—after the Calcutta High Court directed the Commission to republish the identities of each “undeserving” teachers successful a broad format.But this caller database remains conspicuously incomplete. It omits the names of the schools wherever these teachers served for astir a decade—precisely the accusation parents and administrators needed most.
Why a caller list?
This is not a caller recognition exercise. This is simply a re-release with much columns to fulfill judicial scrutiny. In an enactment with PTI an SSC authoritative says, "We had earlier uploaded the aforesaid database of tainted teachers. But this clip arsenic directed by the precocious court, we person included the further details to guarantee afloat transparency." The earlier mentation reportedly carried lone names and rotation numbers — inadequate for close verification, particularly erstwhile respective names repetition crossed districts.
When asked whether these candidates had appeared for the September 2025 caller recruitment test, the authoritative disagreed, PTI reported.The Calcutta High Court’s bid connected 19th November had intelligibly demanded afloat identifiers to guarantee nary tainted campaigner could participate SLST-2025 done method ambiguity oregon administrative slack.
The mysterious lawsuit of missing schoolhouse names
Despite adding caller information points, the Commission has avoided disclosing wherever these individuals worked. This omission leaves important questions unanswered:
- Were these teachers inactive successful classrooms until cancellation?
- Did they measure committee papers oregon grip interior assessments?
- Can parents place if their kid was being taught by idiosyncratic whose assignment the Supreme Court aboriginal struck down?
- Which schools ran for years with panels present ruled illegal?
- Which interior assessments request to beryllium rechecked?
- Which schools whitethorn necessitate administrative involution oregon re-verification?
For a process that the highest tribunal declared “tainted and vitiated beyond redemption,” withholding the school-wise mapping feels little similar transparency and much similar hazard control.
West Bengal teacher recruitment scam: Nine years of rot, a timeline
To recognize wherefore today’s truncated database is frustrating — adjacent violative — 1 indispensable revisit the timeline. This is not a insignificant irregularity. It is, arguably, the largest, astir blase recruitment scam successful Bengal’s acquisition history.2016: The exam that broke the system
- WBSSC conducts SLST to name teachers and non-teaching unit crossed government-aided schools.
- Appointments begin, softly and routinely.
2017–2019: Unease spreadsComplaints emerge: Missing OMR sheets, mismatched serials, inexplicable marks inflation.Allegations determination from whispers to documented petitions.2020–2021: Petitions scope the courts
- The Calcutta High Court begins receiving elaborate affidavits from candidates alleging bribery, manipulation and outright forgery.
- Internal lists aboveground showing “invalid” reply scripts and “suspiciously elevated” marks.
2022: The twelvemonth of collapse
- The Enforcement Directorate arrests past Education Minister Partha Chatterjee aft recovering mountains of cash, golden and spot from his aide’s home.
- CBI begins forensic investigation of OMR sheets.
- Middlemen, SSC officials and information operators participate the spotlight.
2023–2024: Courts propulsion back
- High Court repeatedly asks the SSC to furnish cleanable lists.
- Hard questions are raised astir the support process, the five-member “oversight” committee and the alleged terms illustration for antithetic posts.
April 2025: The Supreme Court intervenes
- The Supreme Court upholds the cancellation of 25,753 appointments — some teaching and non-teaching.
- The Court categorically rules that the full enactment was “tainted and vitiated beyond redemption.”
- Only “untainted” teachers are allowed to proceed temporarily till caller recruitment.
Mid-2025: A location with nary instauration left
- SSC submits that implicit 5,300 appointees were “tainted.”
- SLST-2025 begins nether unprecedented judicial surveillance.
September 2025: Fresh recruitment exam held
- Allegations originate that immoderate tainted candidates inactive slipped into shortlists and workflows.
- More petitions, much hearings, much exigency filings.
November 2025: High Court orders afloat identification
- The High Court demands a elaborate republishing of tainted names with parentage, DOB and taxable taught.
- SSC republishes 1,806 names with expanded identifiers — but omits schools.
- The ellipse remains unclosed.
The larger truth: Bengal’s acquisition Crisis is administrative, not academic
The ripples of this scam volition past a generation. Not due to the fact that 1,806 radical (or possibly more!) manipulated a system, but due to the fact that the strategy made manipulation easy.
IIf a recruitment process tin beryllium hijacked truthful thoroughly that 25,753 appointments request to beryllium struck down successful 1 stroke, past the occupation is not corruption alone. It is design. It is structure. It is the lack of safeguards, the normalisation of opacity.The SSC’s caller database whitethorn fulfill judicial paperwork. But it does not fulfill nationalist conscience. Transparency lies not successful the uploading of columns. It is successful the willingness to uncover consequences.Until the WBSSC publishes school-wise lists, until districts tin verify, until parents cognize the information of who stood successful beforehand of their children for astir a decade, this saga volition stay unfinished. A communicative paused, not resolved. And Bengal volition proceed surviving successful a recruitment strategy wherever accountability appears successful tribunal orders, but ne'er successful classrooms.
