SSC Recruitment: Major Decision on SSC Recruitment! One Exam for New and Old Candidates, Know the Details

SSC Recruitment: The West Bengal School Service Commission (SSC) and the state government have made a groundbreaking decision. Instead of two separate recruitment processes, a single examination will be held for the 2016 and new job aspirants. This decision has been communicated to the Calcutta High Court, sparking a new debate about the future of thousands of job seekers in the state.

High Court’s Verdict and the State’s Stance

The Single Bench (Justice Saugata Bhattacharya) and the Division Bench (Justice Soumen Sen) of the Calcutta High Court have ruled in favor of the state government and the SSC in the second SLST challenge case. During the hearing, the state’s Advocate General, Kishore Dutta, argued that conducting two separate recruitment processes would lead to various problems. To avoid these issues, the state has decided to hold a single exam. The Supreme Court had ordered a fresh recruitment process for 2016 but did not provide specific guidelines on the rules to follow. The Calcutta High Court benches stated that the state government could determine the rules for the new recruitment process.

The Main Reasons for a Single Exam

The state government and the SSC have decided to conduct a single examination primarily for two reasons:

• Cost Reduction: According to the government, organizing two separate exams would be very expensive. Therefore, combining the vacancies from 2016 and the new vacancies into a single recruitment drive will save costs.
• Avoiding Legal Complications: If the exam were held only for the older candidates, the new candidates would be deprived and could file lawsuits. The decision to hold a combined exam has been made to avoid such potential legal challenges and controversies.

Impact on Job Aspirants

This new rule will have a mixed impact on the job aspirants. According to the new regulations, 10 marks have been allocated for teaching experience. This mark will be added to the written test score to determine eligibility for the interview, giving experienced teachers a slight advantage. On the other hand, new candidates and those from 2016 who were not called for verification will participate in this exam without the benefit of these 10 marks. As a result, some candidates on the 2016 waiting list feel they are at a disadvantage and are considering challenging the recruitment rules and the gazette in the Supreme Court.

Controversy Over Costs

Questions have been raised about the state’s argument for cost reduction. It has been pointed out that the government collects a fee of 500 rupees from each candidate for the examination. If a large number of candidates apply, the collected amount should be sufficient to organize multiple exams. Therefore, many have expressed doubts about the validity of the cost-cutting argument. Some believe that the government is viewing this fee as a source of income rather than just for covering examination expenses.

Overall, what the future holds for this recruitment process, especially after potential challenges in the Supreme Court, only time will tell. The job aspirants are now looking forward to the next steps.