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Kolkata, Nov 21 (IANS) At least 26 candidates who qualified for interview in the written examination for new recruitment of higher secondary teachers in government schools in West Bengal have so far been found submitting fake experience certificates to claim weightage of 10 marks for previous teaching experience.
This was revealed to the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC) during the ongoing verification of documents related to educational qualification and experience certificates, which began on November 18, a WBSSC insider said.
The verification process is ongoing. Following detection of irregularities in the documents submitted by these 26 candidates, the Commission has decided to be more vigilant in checking the previous teaching experience records of all interview-eligible candidates.
The new recruitment process is being conducted to fill the vacancies created by the cancellation of nearly 26,000 school jobs by a division bench of the Supreme Court earlier this year. Delivering the verdict in April, the top court had barred all “tainted” teachers – those who had secured jobs by paying money – from participating in the new recruitment cycle.
Two cases have already been filed before the Calcutta High Court challenging the results of the written examination published earlier this month.
One of the petitions pertains to the allegation that some “tainted” candidates, who were earlier identified for paying bribes to get jobs in the school, have been re-qualified for interviews in direct violation of the Supreme Court order.
The second petition pertains to the demand that teaching experience in private schools recognized by the state government should also be considered for weightage of 10 marks. Currently, the benefit is given only to candidates with prior teaching experience in government schools, thereby increasing the demand for wider inclusion.
Investigations by investigating agencies have revealed that thousands of jobs were allegedly given to ineligible candidates in exchange for money, bypassing the merit list and official procedures.
The Calcutta High Court and later the Supreme Court quashed nearly thousands of such appointments as illegal.
Many senior officials, middlemen and political leaders were arrested.
–IANS
Source/PGH