West Bengal 6.80L candidates appear in recruitment test for nearly 3 000 Group C posts in schools

PTI, March 01, 2026, Kolkata :  Around 6.80 lakh candidates appeared in the recruitment test for nearly 3,000 Group C posts in state-aided schools in West Bengal on Sunday, officials said.

The State Level Selection Test (SLST), conducted by the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC), recorded 84 per cent attendance with 8.09 lakh candidates registered for 2,989 Group C vacancies for clerks, they said.

The examination was held in a "peaceful, transparent and orderly manner" with coordinated efforts of various agencies, they added.

The recruitment exercise is being held in the backdrop of the Supreme Court last year invalidating the jobs of 26,000 teachers and non-teaching staff due to corruption.

State Education Minister Bratya Basu congratulated officials for organising the examination in a "fair and transparent" manner.

"It is particularly noteworthy that 4,893 candidates from outside the state appeared in the examination, of whom more than 3,000 were from the 'double-engine government' states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar," he said in a post on X.

"Despite misinformation campaigns, this stands as a shining example of the unwavering trust of candidates, cutting across political lines, in the transparency and impartiality of the government of West Bengal," he said.