At the Netaji Indoor Stadium in Kolkata on Monday, April 7, 2025, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee met with hundreds of persons who had lost their jobs as teaching and non-teaching personnel at West Bengal government-run and aided schools. “I stand by those who lost jobs in schools in Bengal, will do everything to restore their dignity,” Ms. Banerjee said at the meeting, adding “I will not allow eligible candidates to lose school jobs.”
Last week, the Supreme Court upheld a Calcutta High Court ruling that declared the entire hiring process flawed and invalidated the appointment of more than 25,000 teaching and non-teaching positions in West Bengal government-run and aided institutions. Although she is obliged by the Supreme Court’s decision on school jobs, Ms. Banerjee stated that she is taking proactive measures to guarantee that the matter is handled as fairly and carefully as possible.
“My name being dragged into something about which I have no inkling,” she said on the discrepancies in Bengal school job appointments. “We have separate plans to ensure eligible candidates don’t become jobless or have break in service,” she said, adding that she was ready to even go to jail if anyone wants to penalise her for standing with those who lost school jobs.
Earlier in the day, chaos prevailed outside the stadium as people who had not been issued entry passes also arrived at the venue to attend the programme. Police officers, present in large numbers, had a tough time pacifying the assembled people who wanted to enter the indoor stadium to be present at the meeting.
