Jobless Teachers’ Protest Outside Bengal Education HQ Enters 4th Day, Demand Reinstatement and Dialogue

The protest by hundreds of jobless teachers in West Bengal entered its fourth day on Sunday, as they gathered outside the Education Department headquarters in Salt Lake, demanding their reinstatement and a meeting with state Education Minister Bratya Basu.

The teachers are part of the Deserving Teachers Rights Forum, a group representing those who had cleared the 2016 West Bengal School Service Commission (SSC) exam, but lost their jobs after the Supreme Court recently invalidated 25,753 appointments, declaring the recruitment process “vitiated and tainted.”

Around 1,000 protestors participated in the sit-in, raising slogans and holding placards. A powerful image from the protest showed a woman teacher tearfully checking students’ answer scripts on the pavement, while others were seen sweeping the roads—symbolizing their readiness to do anything to reclaim their dignity and jobs.

The teachers are demanding a dialogue with the government, urgent policy clarity, and protection of the future of qualified educators.

No official statement has yet been issued by the Education Department regarding the protest.