The College Service Commission will hold the State Eligibility Test (SET) for the appointment of college teachers on January 8, said an official of the commission.
Over 85,000 candidates will write the tests in 108 centres across the state.
The examination will be held in two slots — from 10.30am to 11.30am (Paper I) and from noon to 2pm (Paper II).
Candidates who will crack the SET will become eligible to appear in an interview that the commission will hold after it comes up with an advertisement detailing the number of vacant posts, said Dipak Kar, chairman of the commission.
“The candidates have been advised to follow the standard safety protocols like wearing the mask while writing the tests, carrying hand sanitisers to the tests, follow physical distancing norms,” said Kar.
Last year when the tests were held on January 9 amid a fresh surge of cases, only one student occupied each bench.
“This year no such restriction has been imposed.
Last year the number of centres stood at 189. We want the candidates to follow the bare minimum safety protocols,” said a commission official.
Another official said a large number of college teachers has retired in 2022, following the state government’s decision in 2019 to raise the retirement age from 62 to 65.
The commission is holding exams to prepare a pool from which vacant seats will be filled,” the official said.
The retirement age of college teachers was first raised to 62 in 2017.
“But before the commission could make any recruitment in 2019, the government further raised the retirement age to 65 years,” the official added.
Previously the questions were set only in English.
This year the questions will be set in Bengali in more humanities subjects.
“Last year, questions were set in Bengali in five subjects. This year the count has been increased to fifteen,” said Kar.