SLST News: Calcutta High Court to Decide Fate of 10 Marks for Experience in SLST Recruitment Today

SLST News: Today marks another pivotal day in the teacher recruitment process regarding West Bengal. The mathematics behind the preparation of the merit list for the School Service Commission’s (SSC) much-awaited 2nd SLST recruitment could completely change based on the Calcutta High Court’s proceedings today. The legal question of whether adding 10 marks for experience at the very beginning of the recruitment process is valid or discriminatory is expected to be addressed.

Significance of Today’s Hearing

Today, Tuesday, February 3, 2026, all eyes are on Court No. 18 of the Calcutta High Court. The case regarding the 2nd SLST is scheduled to be heard by the Single Bench of Honorable Justice Amrita Sinha. According to the court’s daily cause list, the case titled Lubana Parveen vs. State of West Bengal (WPA 12434/2025) is listed at serial number 19. Along with this, connected matters involving petitioners like Mousumi Ghosh and Shishir Das will also be heard together. Prominent lawyer Firdaus Shamim will argue on behalf of the petitioners. The equation of how in-service and general candidates are placed on the merit list depends heavily on today’s hearing.

What is the Controversy Over the 10 Marks?

At the heart of this legal complexity lies the new gazette or notification issued by the SSC in 2025. According to the Commission’s new rule, 10 marks for experience will be added to the candidates’ scores even before the interview or personality test stage.

• Commission’s Argument: This benefit of 10 marks is being provided upfront to facilitate the rehabilitation of teachers who lost their jobs during the cancelled recruitment process of 2016.
• Objection by Freshers: General candidates or “freshers” have claimed this rule is directly discriminatory. Their argument is that while in-service candidates are being evaluated out of a total of 100 marks (90 for written + 10 for experience), general candidates are competing only on 90 marks. As a result, they are lagging by 10 marks right from the start, which undermines the transparency of the merit list. They demand that these marks be added at a later stage of recruitment, not during the initial screening.

Which Way Will the Future Turn?

The court will today determine whether, in the eyes of the constitution and law, granting this 10-mark ‘grace’ or benefit at the initial stage of the recruitment process is valid. If Justice Amrita Sinha strikes down or stays this rule, the Commission will have to alter its method of preparing the merit list. On the other hand, if the Commission’s decision is upheld, in-service candidates will gain a significant advantage. Overall, the future roadmap of the 2nd SLST heavily relies on today’s legal decision.