Protesting teachers clash with police as Bengal Global Business Summit concludes

While the 8th Bengal Global Business Summit continued on Tuesday in Kolkata’s New Town, around 20 kilometres away in the central hub of the city, protestors clashed with police while agitating against the threat to jobs of teachers who were “wrongfully targeted” in the case surrounding the West Bengal School Service Commission recruitment scam. Last year, the Supreme Court stayed a Calcutta High Court order that cancelled nearly 26,000 job appointments of teaching and non-teaching staff from the SSC’s 2016 recruitment panel. While many 2016 aspirants claim they were deprived even after having met the cut-off to favour “unworthy candidates”, several 2016 recruits claim they are “worthy” and are being unfairly clubbed with those who secured jobs by alleged unfair means However, since then, the fates of both parties have been equally uncertain, and both have demanded the segregation of worthy and unworthy candidates from the SSC’s 2016 recruitment panel before any drastic measures are taken. The protest by aggrieved teachers took place when several dignitaries, industrialists, and business magnates were present in the city to attend the second and final day of the 8th Bengal Global Business Summit, a two-day event by the West Bengal government to attract investments and business collaborations to the State.