SLST Nabanna Abhiyan: Major Teacher Recruitment Protest in West Bengal: Aspirants March to Nabanna with 5 Key Demands

SLST Nabanna Abhiyan: The storm of controversy surrounding the state’s teacher recruitment process continues unabated. Amidst this, SLST (State Level Selection Test) job aspirants have called for a massive protest to voice their grievances over alleged injustices. On October 14, 2022, they plan to conduct a ‘Nabanna March’ to make their collective demands heard by the government. There is significant mobilization among the aspirants for this protest.

When and Where Will the March Begin?

According to the organizers, the protest march is scheduled to begin on October 14th at 12:00 PM from the Howrah Maidan Metro Station, proceeding towards Nabanna. The organizers have called upon all aggrieved SLST aspirants across the state to participate in this march to strengthen their fight for their rights.

What Are the Key Demands of the March?

The ‘fresher’ job aspirants have put forward a five-point charter of demands driving this protest:

• Increase in Vacancies: Due to the long halt in the recruitment process, a large number of vacancies have accumulated in state schools. Therefore, the total number of vacancies for the second SLST must be immediately increased to 100,000.
• Objection to Experience-Based Marks: Citing Article 16 of the Indian Constitution (equality of opportunity), the aspirants demand that in-service teachers should not be given any additional marks for their teaching experience. If such marks are to be awarded, they should be added during the final panel creation, not before the interview stage. A case regarding this matter has already been filed in the Calcutta High Court.
• Transparent Recruitment Process: To ensure complete transparency, every interview must be conducted under CCTV surveillance with both audio and video recording. Furthermore, the original OMR sheets must be made public after the examination to eliminate any possibility of corruption.
• Sequential Recruitment: The recruitment process for the 11th-12th grade level should be completed first, followed by the recruitment for the 9th-10th grade level. This would allow higher-ranking candidates to secure positions at the higher secondary level, thereby increasing opportunities for other candidates in the 9th-10th grade category.
• Respect for the Supreme Court’s Verdict: The aspirants demand that the new recruitment process must adhere to the judgment of the Hon’ble Supreme Court and not provide any unfair advantage to any particular group.

There is a clear effort among the aspirants to present a united front for this march. They state that this fight is not merely for their own employment but is a larger battle to save West Bengal’s education system. It now remains to be seen what steps the government will take in response to these demands.