Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], May 16 (HBTV): Several teachers were injured in a clash that broke out in front of Kolkata's Bikash Bhawan between protesting SSC teachers and police personnel who resorted to lathi charge to disperse the massive crowd.

SSC teachers have been protesting in West Bengal after over 26,000 teachers lost their jobs due to irregularities in the SSC recruitment process. This follows a Supreme Court judgment which held that the entire appointment process of the SSC was tainted.

On April 17, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee reacted to the Supreme Court’s verdict on the SSC recruitment and stated that the matter would be resolved within a year.

‘The Supreme Court has allowed the teachers to continue till December 2025. We were worried about how the salaries would be paid to them. Last time, it was said that salaries cannot be paid. We had assured them that they would not face any trouble. We have got time till December. Within this year, the matter will be resolved,’ she said.

The Supreme Court allowed teachers whose appointments were cancelled due to irregularities to continue until the fresh selection process is completed. A bench led by Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna clarified that this relief is only for teachers whose appointments were ‘untainted.’

The top court refused to grant relief to teaching staff in Groups C and D, stating that there are more ‘tainted’ candidates in those categories.

It also directed the West Bengal government and the WB Staff Selection Commission to issue advertisements for fresh recruitment of assistant teachers by May 31 and to complete the process by December 31.

The Supreme Court’s decision cited that students’ education should not suffer due to the irregularities found in the 2016 recruitment process. (ANI)