SLST protest erupts in Siliguri: Hundreds march to Uttarkanya over recruitment scam
The Statesman | 20 November 2025
Hundreds of aspiring teachers, both boys and girls, gathered in Siliguri Wednesday and marched towards the branch secretariat, Uttarkanya, under the banner of Uttarkanya Abhijan, intensifying their protest against alleged irregularities in teachers’ recruitment.
Most of the participants had appeared for the State Level Selection Test (SLST) 2025 and claimed that the latest recruitment cycle has once again raised questions about transparency and fairness.
A large contingent of Siliguri Metropolitan Police was deployed along the route to prevent any untoward incident as the demonstrators raised slogans demanding a clean and corruption-free recruitment process.
Protesters alleged that the cut-off score of 78 was “unrealistic” and that the allocation of 10 marks for teaching experience had unfairly tilted the process in favour of a select group. Many claimed that these criteria had shut out deserving candidates despite their strong performance.
Rizwan Mohammed, an SLST 2025 examinee, appeared visibly distressed while speaking to reporters.
“The education system has completely collapsed since 2011,” he said. “The teachers’ recruitment scams since 2016 are clear examples. Even though the government claimed to have introduced a fresh process, the same corruption charges have surfaced again. Tainted candidates have been allowed. We are simply demanding recruitment for all genuine vacancies in West Bengal.”
The protesters vowed to continue their movement until the government addresses their concerns and ensures a transparent selection procedure.