Kolkata, June 16 -- The online application portal for the recruitment of 35,726 assistant teachers in state-aided and sponsored schools went live at around 10:30 pm on Monday, several hours after the scheduled launch. In just 3 minutes of its launch, 21 registrations were made.

According to the official notification issued by the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC) on May 30, the application process was set to begin at 5 pm on June 16. However, due to technical glitches, the portal went live only later in the night.

The fresh recruitment drive, announced by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on May 27, is part of the state's compliance with a Supreme Court verdict, which cancelled the appointments of nearly 26,000 teaching and non-teaching staff in schools. Following the announcement, the updated Recruitment Rules, 2025, were issued late on May 29, and the detailed notification followed in the early hours of May 30.

"We want all those teachers who lost their jobs to get their jobs back. But we also have to follow the Supreme Court directive on issuing the notification by May 31," the Chief Minister had said.

She had made it clear that the teachers who lost their jobs will be given the benefit of their experience and age relaxation in the fresh recruitment process. Applications will be accepted until July 14 for 23,213 vacancies at the Secondary level (classes IX-X) and 12,514 at the Higher Secondary level (classes XI-XII). The WBSSC has also released a category-wise indicative vacancy list based on data received from the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education.

The launch came amid ongoing protests by a section of terminated "untainted" teachers who have been staging an indefinite hunger strike under the banner of Jogya Shikshak Shikshika Adhikar Mancha. They are demanding that the government delay the fresh recruitment process until the outcome of review petitions is known.

Meanwhile, on Monday, four more teachers on hunger strike were hospitalised after their condition deteriorated. With this, all 10 of the original hunger strikers have now been admitted to hospital. Despite this, the hunger strike has continued, with five new teachers joining the indefinite fast.

The protesting teachers also submitted individual appeal letters to Education minister Bratya Basu at Bikash Bhavan, urging a delay in the recruitment process. "We want the outcome of the review petitions before any fresh recruitment begins," said Mehabub Mondal, one of the protest leaders.

Meanwhile, another group of terminated teachers marched from Subodh Mallick Square towards the state Assembly. However, they were stopped by police at Rani Rashmoni Avenue in Dharmatala, where they began a sit-in.

The protest was later withdrawn after a delegation submitted a deputation at Raj Bhavan and sought a meeting with the Speaker of the state Legislative Assembly, Biman Banerjee, which may take place on Tuesday.

The teachers, who lost their jobs after the Supreme Court upheld a Calcutta High Court Division Bench order to cancel the appointments of 25,752 teaching and non-teaching staff in the cash-for-jobs scam, have been protesting on the roads demanding their jobs be reinstated.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.