Kolkata: The state School Education Department on Monday advised education boards and district authorities to allow extensions of the rejoining deadline for untainted teachers returning to their pre-2016 posts, if such requests are made through individual applications.
In an official communication issued by the Commissioner of School Education, the advisory was sent to the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education, the West Bengal Board of Primary Education and all District Primary School Councils. It applies to teachers who had been in government service before the 2016 recruitment process and were earlier permitted to return to their previous posts. The advisory follows the Supreme Court’s April 3, 2025 judgment cancelling the panel of around 25,753 teaching and non-teaching staff appointed through the 2016 recruitment process, while allowing untainted teachers to continue in service till December 31, 2025. The court had also permitted such candidates, if they had previously worked in government departments or autonomous bodies, to apply for reversion to their former service.
Several eligible teachers subsequently applied and were allowed to rejoin their pre-2016 posts. However, in a later order dated December 18, the apex court extended the time for completion of the recruitment process till August 2026 and allowed untainted teachers to continue in their
2016 posts until then. Following this, many teachers who had already received appointment letters to rejoin their earlier posts sought additional time to join, opting to remain in their existing positions during the extended period permitted by the court.
Considering these representations, the commissioner of School Education advised the concerned boards and councils to allow extensions of the joining period on a case-by-case basis. The advisory is expected to ease the uncertainty that had prevailed among teachers in the absence of clear administrative instructions on whether such extensions would be granted. However, teachers who have already rejoined their previous service will not be covered by the advisory.