Education And Career News in news18.com, Education And Career Latest News, Education And Career News
Last Updated:
New rules for candidates affected by the WBSSC 2016 recruitment scam have been issued, offering fresh opportunities and greater transparency
To ensure transparency, the Supreme Court has directed WBSSC to publish candidates’ names and marks publicly. (News18)
Every year, thousands of young candidates prepare for government jobs through the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC) examinations. However, the recruitment process has faced repeated controversies, with the 2016 WBSSC recruitment scam standing out as one of the most notorious cases.
On April 3, 2025, the Supreme Court of India annulled the appointments of 25,753 teachers and non-teaching staff following revelations of widespread irregularities. While the verdict disrupted the livelihoods of many, new regulations have been introduced to provide affected employees with a second chance. These revised WBSSC recruitment rules include age relaxation and greater transparency to restore faith in the system.
The WBSSC Recruitment Scam
In 2016, the WBSSC conducted the State Level Selection Test (SLST) to recruit assistant teachers and non-teaching staff for classes 9 to 12. Although there were 24,640 vacancies, 25,753 appointments were made – an immediate indication of malpractice.
A Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe uncovered extensive tampering, including manipulation of OMR answer sheets, alteration of candidate rankings, and appointments made after the expiry of the selection panel’s validity. Alarmingly, some government posts were allotted on the basis of blank OMR sheets.
Naisa Communications, responsible for scanning the answer sheets, outsourced the work to Data Scantech, which allegedly tampered with the data. In 2022, the CBI seized three hard disks from a former Naisa employee, uncovering further evidence of irregularities.
Supreme Court Verdict
On April 3, 2025, the Supreme Court upheld an earlier Kolkata High Court ruling that declared the 2016 recruitment process ‘tainted by manipulation and fraud’. The Court criticised the suspicious destruction of OMR sheets and the unlawful inflation of marks for ineligible candidates.
Importantly, the Court ruled that employees dismissed due to the scam would not be required to return their salaries. Furthermore, employees with disabilities were permitted to retain their positions on humanitarian grounds.
New Recruitment Guidelines
The Supreme Court directed the West Bengal government to conduct a fresh recruitment within three months, introducing several new rules:
- Retake Opportunity: Those dismissed may reapply unless found ‘tainted’ by manipulation; over 6,000 such candidates have been disqualified.
- Transparency: WBSSC must publish candidates’ names and marks publicly.
- Age Relaxation: Applicants aged between 21 and 40 years may apply.
- Continued CBI Probe: The investigation into officials continues, with no coercive measures yet.
- Priority Reinstatement: Candidates previously employed in government departments can apply to return to their prior positions.
Revised Scoring In The New Notification
Following Supreme Court instructions, 10 marks will be awarded for teaching experience, 10 marks for lecture demonstrations, and 10 marks for graduation or postgraduate performance, replacing secondary and higher secondary marks.
The exam totals 100 marks, with scores above 60% earning 10 marks, 50-60% earning 8 marks, and below 50% earning 6 marks.
- Location :
West Bengal, India, India
- First Published:
Source link
News18
#WBSSC #Recruitment #Age #Limit #Relaxation #Among #Rules #Announced