SLST Teacher Exam: 2nd Round to Be Held Today for Filling 35,726 Vacancies

 Kolkata, West Bengal; September 14, 2025

The State Level Selection Test (SLST), conducted by the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC), is set to hold its second round of examinations today (September 14) for teacher recruitment in Classes 9 to 12. This comes after over 3.19 lakh candidates appeared in the first round on September 7, which was largely glitch-free. The current phase has about 2,46,000 candidates, 478 exam centres, and ~12,514 vacancies for Classes 11-12. The first round covered 23,212 vacancies for Classes 9-10. The Shillong Times One major problem, however, remains public trust, following the 2016 SLST teacher recruitment scandal. Many job seekers and observers remain skeptical, fearing irregularities may still happen. Past allegations of manipulation of OMR sheets and corruption involving high-level officials still loom large in public memory. The Shillong Times The administration says they have taken “strong measures at the highest level” to ensure today’s exam proceeds smoothly. There are increased invigilators, strict rules (like no gadgets or electronic devices in exam halls), and extended time for differently-abled candidates. The Shillong Times Yet, critics argue that such measures are reactive rather than systemic—public trust issues will not be solved simply by stricter exam-day rules. They call for transparency on how exam papers are handled, how centre staff are selected, how grievances will be addressed, and how past misconduct will be permanently eradicated. The Shillong Times Tripura Headline: National Lok Adalat Disposes of 31,789 Cases; Court Pendency Still a Problem Dateline: Agartala, Tripura; September 14, 2025 Tripura’s District Legal Services Authority in West Tripura held the third National Lok Adalat of the year on September 13, disposing of 31,789 cases across 39 benches. These cases included 24,013 court-pending cases, as well as 6,776 pre-litigation disputes. The hearings covered bank loan repayments, motor accident compensation, marital disputes, cheque bounce cases, etc. Despite this large number of cases being resolved, a key problem remains: the backlog of pending cases in normal courts continues to grow. Many litigants still wait long periods for their issues to be heard in court. The Lok Adalat offers relief, but it is not a permanent solution to the structural delays in the judicial process. Legal observers say that while Lok Adalats help reduce pressure on courts and provide quicker justice, they often settle cases by compromise, which sometimes leaves parties dissatisfied. Moreover, resolutions in Lok Adalats do not always lead to systemic reforms in court infrastructure, staffing, or case-management practices. Officials claim that more such Lok Adalats will be organized, especially in remote areas, to access justice. But critics argue that the state must also focus on increasing judges, digitizing case tracking, and ensuring courts in rural districts are well-resourced. Otherwise, the pendency will continuously get transferred rather than eliminated.