‘Doomed for life’: Untainted but sacked West Bengal teachers worry about fresh hiring tests, repaying loans
Times of India | 4 April 2025
Teachers react to the apex court’s decision in Kolkata on Thursday KOLKATA: Every morning for the past six years, Saikat Ghosh woke up before dawn in Bengal's Chandernagore, packed his lunch, and set off on a long journey by suburban train or bus to his school in South 24 Parganas district, where he taught history. On Thursday, he lost his job.
"I got this job on merit and joined the school as a teacher on Feb 28, 2019. After years of service, I was let go due to corruption, not my fault," said Ghosh, the sole breadwinner, who supports a family of seven, including his three-year-old daughter, wife, aged parents, uncle, and aunt. "We are doomed for life."
Ghosh is among 25,752 teachers and non-teaching staff in Bengal who lost their jobs following a Supreme Court verdict that scrapped their recruitment through the state's school service commission. While the court acknowledged the presence of "tainted" and "untainted" candidates, the mass firing has left many in despair.
With their livelihoods upended, thousands of teachers are left wondering how to repay loans, pay bills. The court offered them the option to reappear for hiring exams, but many question the fairness of being tested again after more than a decade.
Deepa Mondal, who teaches science at a school in South 24 Parganas, said: "We were mentally prepared for the exam in 2014. I was not married. I did not have kids. Now I have a family to support, raise two children, and a home loan to pay. Under such scenario, I do not know how it is possible to appear in another exam."