Kolkata, May 15, 2025: Tension escalated outside Bikash Bhavan, the headquarters of West Bengal’s education department, as a large group of job-terminated teachers and staff stormed the main gate during a massive protest. The movement was organized by the ‘Yogyo Shikshak-Shikshika Adhikar Mancha’ (Forum for the Rights of Qualified Teachers) to press for seven key demands, primarily the reinstatement of jobs without re-examination.
The protest quickly turned confrontational as some demonstrators broke open the main gate and entered the premises, leading to a clash with police personnel deployed on-site.
🚨 What Happened at Bikash Bhavan?
From 12 noon, hundreds of former teachers, whose appointments were invalidated due to the SSC recruitment scam fallout, gathered outside Bikash Bhavan in Salt Lake. As the crowd swelled, a group forced entry by breaking open the front gate, demanding an immediate resolution.
When the police tried to manage the situation, heated arguments and minor scuffles broke out between the protesters and officers.
📢 The Protesters’ Seven Demands
1. Reinstatement with dignity through legal means — not fresh exams.
2. The government must utilize review and other legal provisions to restore jobs.
3. Before announcing new recruitment (as per Supreme Court orders), the education department must consult terminated candidates.
4. No repeated eligibility tests for the same posts.
5. The government should form a new panel under its special powers to validate appointments.
6. The CBI investigation report must be acknowledged in job restoration decisions.
7. A fair and transparent appointment process must be initiated urgently.
🎭 Not Just Protests – Street Plays Too
To further draw public attention, the forum also staged street plays (path-natya) across Kolkata.
3:00 PM at Jadavpur University Campus
4:00 PM at Jadavpur 8B Bus Stand
These performances aimed to highlight the emotional and professional trauma faced by the terminated educators.
📅 Background: A Long-Drawn Battle for Justice
Earlier, from April 21 to 24, these educators staged a protest at the SSC office. Since May 7, a new round of protests has been underway at Bikash Bhavan. Due to the continued siege of the SSC office, Commission Chairman Siddhartha Majumdar has been forced to operate out of Bikash Bhavan, affecting the commission’s regular operations — a point the Education Department has strongly objected to.
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