Kolkata, September 15: More than 2.3 lakh candidates appeared for the West Bengal School Level Selection Test (SLST) for assistant teachers in classes 11 and 12, held on Sunday after a nine-year gap. The examination follows the Supreme Court’s cancellation of the controversial 2016 recruitment process that had earlier dismissed nearly 26,000 teachers and non-teaching staff.

Officials confirmed a 93% turnout out of 2.46 lakh registered candidates across 478 centres. Education Minister Bratya Basu said the test was conducted smoothly, thanking the West Bengal School Service Commission for ensuring transparency. “There has been special emphasis on OMR sheets and preserving copies by candidates. Evaluation and interviews will follow as per schedule,” Basu noted.

A striking feature this year was the participation of 13,517 candidates from outside the state, mostly from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. In the first phase of the SLST, held on September 7 for classes 9 and 10, more than 31,000 candidates from outside Bengal had applied, highlighting unemployment pressures in other states.

Candidates affected by the cancelled 2016 process expressed cautious optimism. “We had qualified earlier but lost jobs due to corruption. Today my exam went well, and I hope not to be a victim again,” said Chinmoy Mondal of the Deserving Teachers Rights Forum.

With participation rates of over 91% in the first phase and 93% in the second, the recruitment drive reflects both the demand for teaching posts and renewed faith in a fair and transparent selection system.

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