The West Bengal School Service Commission (SSC)) has come up with details of the marks mismatch of over 3,000 candidates who had appeared in tests for Group C posts in the 2016 examination.

The SSC on Monday also called 785 waitlisted candidates, who had turned up for Group C posts in the same examination, for counselling soon.

The SSC said in a notice on its website on Monday that "In compliance with the direction of Hon’ble Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay, High Court, Calcutta, dated 10.03.2023 in WPA 12270 of 2021, the difference of marks of total 3,478 candidates in connection with 3rd Regional level Selection Test (NT), 2016 (for Gr-C posts) have been published in the website of West Bengal Central School Service Commission on 13.03.2023." The SSC in the notice gave the actual OMR marks obtained by the candidates and the published OMR marks showing the marks mismatch.

The order came after the court found these candidates had got the recommendation from SSC, owing to manipulation of OMR sheets for the recruitment examination in 2016.

The high court also asked the SSC to recommend names of waitlisted candidates to the board to fill up posts in accordance with merit.

The SSC in another notice on its website said "in compliance with the order dated 10.03.2023 of Hon’ble Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay, High Court, the West Bengal Central School Service Commission has been directed to conduct counselling of waitlisted candidates according to their merit, category etc as well as conditions specified by Hon’ble Court in the stated order, in the vacancies arising out of 785 numbers of erroneous recommendations in regard to Regional Level Selection Test (NT) – 2016 for recruitment of Group-C staff." The notice further confirmed the 785 appointments were annulled "vide Commission’s memo no 324/L-3629/CSSC/ESTT/2023 Dated 10-03-2023." The notice further said the counselling for the posts is scheduled to be conducted at the office address soon and detailed notification will be published on the website of the commission accordingly.

The 785 waitlisted candidates are among the 3,478 whose marks have not been found to be in order.

Candidates who shall be called to attend such counselling process, if found to be related to any irregularity including manipulation in their OMRs, shall be barred from appearing in the counselling process and shall have their candidature cancelled forthwith without.

The SSC action comes in the wake of the Calcutta High Court having directed the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education to cancel jobs of 1,911 Group D employees who were illegally given appointments in state-aided, state-sponsored secondary schools illegally following manipulation in recruitment examination results in February.

An SSC official said it has nothing to say beyond the notification issued in compliance with the high court order.

Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP Santanu Sen said the ruling party has already made it clear it has zero tolerance for illegal appointments in state-run and state-aided schools and whoever is found to be involved must be punished in accordance with the law as the party will not stand by his side.

BJP leader Rahul Sinha said the SSC has "lost" all credibility before the public by acknowledging there was a discrepancy in the marks allotted to so many candidates and this government has no moral right to stay in power.

"If the recruiting authority of the state itself owns up it had made mistakes in recruitments of Group C posts in such huge numbers, how can it restore the faith and confidence of the public, of the deserving candidates whose parents had spent their hard-earned money to bring up their children, for their education. This government has put the entire recruitment process in a terrible mess," Sinha said.

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