Bengal SSC Seeks Legal Opinion on Revised OBC Reservation Norms for Teacher Recruitment The School Service Commission (SSC) in West Bengal is seeking legal clarification on whether the state government’s decision to reduce the Other Backward Classes (OBC) reservation quota from 17% to 7% will apply to teacher recruitment processes. This comes after the backward classes welfare department issued a notification on May 18, stating that the 7% reservation for 66 classes would now apply to "posts and services under the Bengal government." The move has created uncertainty among candidates who had previously benefited from the higher reservation rates. The SSC had been following the 17% reservation framework, which allocated 10% for OBC-A and 7% for OBC-B, covering 140 classes and sub-castes, during the ongoing recruitment of assistant teachers. However, the department’s May 18 notification withdrew all previous approvals for the 17% reservation, effective immediately. This reversal has prompted the SSC to seek legal advice on the applicability of the new norms. The controversy stems from the Trinamool Congress government’s decision to implement the 2010 OBC reservation norms, which reduced the quota to 7%. This change followed the termination of 17,209 teachers in April 2025, as courts invalidated the 2016 recruitment process due to irregularities. The SSC conducted fresh exams in September 2025 to fill the vacancies, with counseling for higher secondary appointments starting in January for 12,514 posts. Additionally, the commission faces the challenge of recruiting 25,314 teachers at the secondary level. The Supreme Court granted the SSC an extension in December 2025, directing the completion of the hiring process by August 31, 2026.#west_bengal #trinamool_congress #supreme_court #school_service_commission #backward_classes_welfare_department
