Who is ‘untainted’? Confusion brews as West Bengal begins teacher verification process
District-wise lists of ‘untainted’ teachers have reached the school inspectors while headmasters have been asked to submit a list of their teachers’ names, designations, subjects they teach, transfer histories, and confirmations that the names are in the “untainted” list .
3 min readKolkataUpdated: Apr 25, 2025 04:58 AM IST
In Kolkata, the names of "untainted" teachers have been sent to schools, with an instruction to submit the relevant documents to the DI office in Kasba by Thursday at 3 pm. (Representational/File)
After the recent Supreme Court order which annulled the appointments of over 25,000 West Bengal school staff but said that “untainted” teachers could remain in service until December 31 this year, confusion had remained as to who the “untainted” teachers are.
Now, a district-wise list of “untainted” teachers of Classes IX-X and XI-XII has reached the offices of District Inspectors (DIs) of schools. A verification process has begun.
The SC had found that the 2016 recruitment process by the SSC was “tainted”.
School headmasters have been asked to submit a list of their teachers’ names, designations, subjects they teach, transfer histories, and confirmations that the names are in the “untainted” list. Furthermore, the schools have also been asked to send copies of the teachers’ recommendation letters, appointment letters, approval of appointment letters, and transfer letters if any.
In Kolkata, the names of “untainted” teachers have been sent to schools, with an instruction to submit the relevant documents to the DI office in Kasba by Thursday at 3 pm.
According to sources in the state School Education department, the DI offices will cross-check the school-submitted details with the official list. The teachers not found on the list will be removed from the government’s salary portal.
Manik Biswas, headmaster of Rajarampur High School Lalgola, told The Indian Express, “The list has come through the DI offices. We will send names and all the documents. A total of 14 teachers’ names were there; some of them have joined back as of now.”
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List worries protesting teachers
Meanwhile, Chinmoy Mondol, the face of the teachers’ protest, claimed that his name was not in the list.
Speaking to The Indian Express, he said, “The list sent to the DI office contains the names of the untainted teachers. We have seen it. However, many names of untainted teachers have been omitted. My name is under the Barrackpore DI, and my first appointment was under the Kasba DI, but in none of the lists does my name appear.”
Mondol claimed that he has spoken to SSC Chairman Siddharta Majumdar and he has said the matter “would be looked into”.
Sources have confirmed that officials are reviewing Mondal’s case to determine whether the omission was due to an error or if he features on the tainted list.
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Meanwhile, many of the protesting teachers are now worried as to whether their name will appear in the salary portal or not.
Susmita Haldar, a science teacher at a government school in Nadia, said, “Many genuine candidates may not appear in the list, then what will happen? Without any fault of ours, we will get omitted. This is no solution at all.”
Tanusree Bose is a dedicated journalist reporting for The Indian Express from Kolkata. Her work focuses sharply on the complex administrative, political, and judicial developments across West Bengal, establishing her as an authoritative voice in regional news coverage.
Experience
Current Role: Reports for the prestigious national daily, The Indian Express, providing her content with a high level of Trustworthiness.
Geographical Expertise: Provides focused, in-depth coverage of West Bengal, demonstrating an intimate knowledge of the state's news and political nuances.
Core Authority: Her reporting portfolio highlights deep Expertise in crucial, often sensitive, beats, including:
State Politics and Governance: Covering the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC), opposition strategies (BJP), and internal political controversies.
Judicial and Administrative Affairs: Closely monitoring key developments in the Calcutta High Court, particularly major rulings related to employment, education, and social issues.
Education Sector: Extensive reporting on significant controversies, such as teacher recruitment irregularities and administrative actions by the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education (WBBSE).
Social & Electoral Issues: Covering public events, community tensions (e.g., religious/political gatherings), and election-related processes like the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral roll.
Tanusree Bose's consistent output and focus on high-stakes regional issues for a trusted media outlet underscore her status as a reliable and authoritative source for news from West Bengal. ... Read More
