Teachers’ protest in Bengal enters fourth day

Kolkata

The protest by school teachers in West Bengal, who lost their jobs following a recent Supreme Court verdict, continued for the fourth consecutive day on Sunday, May 18, 2025, outside the West Bengal Education Department headquarters in Salt Lake, Kolkata. Around 1,000 protesters, part of the Deserving Teachers Rights Forum, are demanding their reinstatement. They include candidates who cleared the 2016 West Bengal School Service Commission (SSC) examination but were among the 25,753 whose appointments were declared invalid by the apex court, citing a “vitiated and tainted” recruitment process.

Teachers shouted slogans and displayed placards, calling for a meeting with Education Minister Bratya Basu. “We will not leave this spot till the minister meets us and assures we won’t be forced to retake the exam,” said Chinmoy Mondal, a forum representative. He added that their concerns should be reflected in the state’s special review petition to the Supreme Court.

The protest took an emotional turn as students joined the agitators, and a woman teacher was seen checking answer scripts with tears rolling down her cheeks. Some teachers swept the protest site, symbolising their dismay. Meanwhile, protesters allege that 10–12 teachers were served police notices in connection with violent clashes at Bikash Bhavan on May 15. Several teachers, including women, were injured during the police action. Despite appeals, protesters refused to vacate the area, causing disruption for department staff.