Schools and colleges across the state are finding it difficult to appoint teachers in the reserved category because of non-availability of candidates — they fail to qualify for the job.

This even after both the commissions conduct recruitment drives every year. At present, these vacancies are running into thousands.

So far, 22 per cent seats are reserved for SCs, six per cent for STs and seven per cent for OBCs.

Now, with a 10 per cent increase, the OBC reservation will become 17 per cent— overall, reservation will increase from 35 to 45 per cent.

According to authorities, it is difficult to get candidates in reserved categories for subjects like mathematics, chemistry and physics.

Ashok Maity, General Secretary of West Bengal Headmaster’s Association, said: “Government should ensure that candidates from backward and deprived communities can compete with candidates from the general category. Mere reservation will not help.”

“Without proper candidates from reserved category, now more seats will remain vacant,” said Professor Tarun Naskar, General Secretary of All Bengal University Teachers’ Association.

Of the 2,750 vacancies, advertised for college teachers in 2009 — for which the recruitment is still on — 1,770 vacancies (65 per cent) are reserved for SCs, STs and OBC candidates.

In regard to 2009 School Service Commission, the total vacancy in the reserved category is 3,000.

On protest, para-teachers get lathis from cops
Demanding for permanency in service, para-teachers were allegedly lathicharged by the police after they blocked the Surya Sen Street and College street crossing on Friday. As many as 82 para-teachers have been staging a hunger strike at College Square since February 8 demanding that all para teachers be hired as permanent teachers.

“Today when one of the teachers on agitation, Biplab Seal, fell ill, we could not take him to the hospital as the authorities had replaced the ambulance at the site with an old one. Agitated by this, we blocked the road and the police lathicharged us,” said Shamim Akhtar, general secretary of state coordination of Para-Teachers’ Association.