WBSSC launches new portal after SLST results trigger login issues for candidates

NEW DELHI: The West Bengal School Service Commission on Saturday launched a new website to help teaching job aspirants find their result, as many of the examinees are struggling to get it from the old portal, an official said. The WBSSC released the results of the State Level Selection Test (SLST) for assistant teachers in classes 11-12 at 9.30 pm on Friday.

The results, uploaded on the commission’s official portal, paved the way for filling 12,514 assistant teacher vacancies in state-run and state-aided schools. The Supreme Court on April 3 cancelled the appointments of 25,753 teaching and non-teaching staff, calling the entire recruitment process of 2016 “vitiated and tainted”. This is the first recruitment exam, held on September 14, after the apex court’s order.

High traffic causes access issues on WBSSC portals

A large number of candidates tried to log in simultaneously, and very few managed to have access, the official told PTI. "We have launched a new website wbsschelpdesk.com to facilitate over 2.29 lakh candidates who wrote their papers. The old site is also functioning," the official said. He urged the candidates to try at intervals and not incessantly.

Voicing frustration, an aspirant Subrata Biswas said, "Many candidates like me have been attempting to log in to the WBSSC website first and then to the newly launched helpdesk portal. But we haven't met with much success.” Another examinee, Chinmoy Mondal, also claimed that he could not see the exam results despite making multiple bids since Thursday night. Mondal is an office bearer of Deserving Teachers Rights Forum, an organisation formed after the Supreme Court’s April 3 verdict.

Document verification required before appointment

Candidates who cleared the test will advance to the interview process, which evaluates pedagogical skills, subject knowledge, and communication abilities — essential competencies for effective teaching. Following the interviews, a final merit list will be prepared based on combined scores from both stages. Successful candidates will then undergo document verification, presenting original educational certificates, mark sheets, and valid identity proofs before final appointments are confirmed.

The official said that it was not immediately possible to ascertain how many among the 25,753 teachers who lost their jobs after the Supreme Court’s April 3 verdict had qualified in the new test. "I am of the view that a large number of untainted candidates have cleared the exam," he said. “Untainted” candidates are those whose involvement in the 2016 recruitment process has not been proven.