The West Bengal Board of Primary Education has officially postponed all scheduled interviews for primary teacher recruitment in the wake of the upcoming Assembly elections, citing the model code of conduct and administrative constraints.
In an official notification issued late on Friday, the Board announced that the interview process, which was set to begin on April 10, has been deferred indefinitely. The decision affects thousands of candidates who had cleared the written examination and were awaiting their turn for the viva voce round.
“Due to the enforcement of the model code of conduct following the announcement of election dates, the Board has decided to postpone the ongoing recruitment process for primary teachers until further notice,” the notification stated. Sources in the education department confirmed that the postponement was necessitated to avoid any violation of electoral guidelines that prohibit major recruitments during the election period.
The recruitment drive for over 16,000 primary teacher posts had generated significant interest, with more than 1.2 lakh candidates appearing for the written test conducted last year. The written results were declared in February, raising hopes among successful candidates for early appointment. However, the sudden announcement of the West Bengal Assembly elections has disrupted the timeline.
Opposition parties have criticised the state government, alleging that the postponement is a deliberate move to delay appointments and manipulate the timing for political gains. “This is yet another example of the ruling party’s apathy towards the youth and unemployed teachers. They are playing with the future of thousands of meritorious candidates,” said a senior leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Education activists have also expressed concern over the prolonged uncertainty. “Many candidates have been preparing for years. This delay will add to their financial and mental stress,” said Sumana Das, a representative of an aspirants’ forum.
Board officials, however, maintained that the decision was purely administrative and in compliance with Election Commission directives. “Once the elections are over and the model code is lifted, the interview process will resume at the earliest,” an official said on condition of anonymity.
The state government is yet to announce a fresh schedule. Candidates have been advised to regularly check the Board’s official website for updates. The development has sparked widespread disappointment among the teaching aspirants across the state, many of whom had already made travel and accommodation arrangements for the interviews.