Group C, D recruitment tests likely in March

Kolkata: Written examinations for the recruitment of Group C and Group D non-teaching staff in state-run schools are likely to be held in March, with March 1 and March 8 emerging as the most feasible dates, sources said.

Sources said the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC) had initially proposed March 1 and March 15 to the state School Education Department. While March 1 is likely to receive clearance, the forthcoming Assembly elections may rule out March 15. Sources said March 1 and March 8 are now under consideration, with a final decision expected after formal approval from the department.

The recruitment drive has drawn a large response, with around 16 lakh applications for 8,478 non-teaching posts. Of these, 2,989 Group C vacancies received about 8.13 lakh applications, while 5,489 Group D posts attracted around 8.20 lakh applicants.

Meanwhile, the commission is working to publish the final merit panel for the recruitment of Class XI–XII teachers by January 21 (Wednesday), its self-imposed deadline. Officials said they were confident of meeting the date.

The higher secondary recruitment process covers 12,445 vacancies. The written examination for Classes XI–XII was held on September 14, with results declared on November 7. The preliminary interview list was published on November 15.

Document verification for all 35 subjects was conducted between November 18 and December 4. Interviews concluded on December 30 after beginning on September 26. Centralised counselling for Class XI–XII posts is expected to begin by the end of the month, according to commission sources.