Uncertainty over SIR staff release for Madhyamik duty

Kolkata: With the Madhyamik Examinations 2026 beginning on February 2, uncertainty remains over whether teachers and officers engaged in the SIR of electoral rolls will be released for examination duty.

West Bengal Board of Secondary Education (WBBSE) president Ramanuj Ganguly said the board had written to district magistrates (DMs) and district election officers (DEOs), with copies to the Chief Electoral Officer, West Bengal, but no written confirmation had been received.

The examination will run till February 12 at 2,682 centres. A total of 9,71,340 candidates will appear, compared with 9,69,425 last year. Of them, 4,26,733 are male, 5,44,606 female and one transgender.

The board said around 52,000 teachers are needed for invigilation and related duties, many of whom are serving as Booth Level Officers (BLOs). One officer-in-charge is required at each of the 945 main venues, some of whom are Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) or Assistant Electoral Registration Officers (AEROs). Ganguly said officers-in-charge must be present throughout the day, warning that absence during examination hours could jeopardise the process.

In a January 27 letter, the board requested that teachers engaged as BLOs be spared from SIR duties on examination days, at least till about 4.30 pm. The letter cited an August 4, 2025, Calcutta High Court order recording the Election Commission of India’s submission that teachers should be minimally drafted as BLOs and, where necessary, engaged during holidays or non-teaching hours.

“Both SIR and Madhyamik are statutory exercises. One cannot obstruct the other,” Ganguly said, adding that the request was limited to the examination period. He said the board remained confident of release but formal communication was awaited.

Meanwhile, the board opened its enrollment portal for 24 hours from noon on January 27 to noon on January 28, during which 954 schools enrolled 1,966 candidates. More than 10 per cent of recognised schools, out of around 9,400, failed to enrol eligible students despite multiple opportunities,

Ganguly said.

He said the board had provided four enrolment chances and opened special portals for verification and rectification. Disciplinary action would be initiated against defaulting schools through due process, he added, while the board’s immediate focus remained on ensuring the smooth conduct of the examination.