EC exempts SSC officials from poll duty to ensure recruitment meets SC deadline

In a significant relief for the ongoing teacher recruitment process in West Bengal, the Election Commission of India has exempted officials of the School Service Commission (SSC) from Assembly election-related duties. The decision came after concerns were raised before the Calcutta High Court that the recruitment process could be severely affected due to staff being diverted for poll work.

Hearing the matter, Justice Krishna Rao welcomed the move, observing that the fresh recruitment process initiated following the cancellation of over 25,000 SSC jobs in 2025 would now proceed without disruption. The court subsequently disposed of the case after being informed that the officials deputed for election duty had been relieved.

The issue arose after around 24 SSC officials were assigned polling duties on March 1, prompting the commission to approach the High Court on March 25. The SSC argued that it had only 35 employees managing both administrative and recruitment-related work, and with a majority deployed for election duty, only 11 staff remained to carry forward the process. This, the commission said, made it difficult to meet the Supreme Court-mandated deadline of August 31.

The commission further submitted that interviews for recruitment of teachers and non-teaching staff were already underway and any delay in restoring personnel would jeopardise the timeline. It also maintained that being an autonomous body, its employees should not be diverted for election duties, especially during a critical phase of recruitment.

Following these submissions, the Election Commission informed the court that all 24 officials had been relieved from polling responsibilities, with the Additional District Magistrate issuing the necessary order on April 1. The development ensures that the SSC can now focus entirely on completing the recruitment process within the stipulated deadline set by the Supreme Court.