Bengal primary teacher recruitment to be completed soon, annual TET to follow

Bengal’s State School Education Minister Deepak Barman announced on October 1, 2026, that the stalled primary school teacher recruitment process would be completed soon. Speaking at a press conference at Bikash Bhaban in Kolkata, Minister Barman also stated that the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) for primary school teachers would henceforth be held annually.

This announcement comes as the recruitment process for 13,421 Assistant Teacher posts, stemming from the 2022 TET, remains incomplete. The process was suspended on April 1, 2026, due to the Assembly election schedule, and interviews have not resumed since.

Completion of Current Recruitment and Annual TET

Minister Barman affirmed that the current recruitment process for primary school teachers would be finalised shortly. He further elaborated that once this process is concluded, the next recruitment drive would begin, followed by regular annual Teacher Eligibility Tests. The Minister likened the annual TET to major festivals, stating, “The Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) will be held every year like Durga Puja, Lakshmi Puja and Saraswati Puja.”

The last Teacher Eligibility Test for primary school teachers was conducted in 2022, and the recruitment process based on this examination has not yet been finalised. The West Bengal Board of Primary Education (WBBPE) is the authority responsible for conducting the Primary TET for Classes I to V.

Timeline of the Stalled Recruitment Process

The Trinamool Congress government published the recruitment notification for candidates who passed the TET in 2022 on September 25, 2025. Interviews for these candidates began on December 31, 2025, with district-wise interviews commencing in phases from December 2025 to recruit 13,421 individuals. The first four rounds of interviews were conducted.

On February 27, 2026, the WBBPE issued a notification, and interviews for districts including Nadia, Purulia, Bankura, Alipurduar, South Dinajpur, Malda, West Burdwan, and Birbhum started in the fifth to tenth phases. Interviews for Nadia district in the fifth phase concluded on March 19, 2026. However, when interviews for Purulia district in the sixth phase began on March 23, 2026, the Assembly election schedule had already been announced. The Election Commission next wrote to the School Education Department on March 27, 2026, seeking information on the interview process. This letter reached the WBBPE on March 30, 2026, and the board provided the requested details on the same day. The primary education board then suspended the interview process on April 1, 2026, and it has not resumed since.

Assistant Teacher Vacancies and Selection Criteria

The West Bengal Board of Primary Education (WBBPE) is inviting applications for 13,421 vacant posts of Assistant Teachers. This recruitment is being conducted in accordance with the ‘West Bengal Primary School Teachers Recruitment Rules, 2016’ (amended up to date). Candidates must be between 18 and 40 years of age as of January 1, 2025, to be eligible for these positions.

The selection of Assistant Teachers is based on aggregated marks out of a maximum of 50, distributed across various parameters. Application fees vary by category, as detailed in the table below. The official portal for information regarding this recruitment is wbbeprimary.org.

Emphasis on Pm Poshan Scheme

State School Education Minister Deepak Barman addressed the PM Poshan scheme, formerly known as mid-day meals, on October 1, 2026, at a press conference in Bikash Bhaban, Kolkata. Minister Barman stated that the West Bengal government is prioritizing the scheme and that mid-day meals should not be discontinued in any school across the state. He affirmed, “We have allocated the funds. The West Bengal government is giving great importance to the PM Poshan scheme.”

This statement follows earlier reports of mid-day meals being halted at a school in the Garia area due to alleged lack of funds. The administration later intervened to address the issue. Minister Barman’s remarks highlight the government’s commitment to ensuring the continuity of the PM Poshan scheme, with funds already allocated for this purpose.

Written by Nishit Kumar

Nishit Kumar is a senior EdTech industry leader with over a decade of experience in building and scaling education platforms, shaping their product, content, and growth strategy. At FindMyCollege, Nishit oversees content and editorial strategy, guiding topic selection and content frameworks to ensure accuracy, relevance, and student-first value across the website.

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