The West Bengal Cabinet on Wednesday approved a new restriction barring future teachers in state-run schools from directly participating in politics or contesting elections while they remain in service, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari announced after a Cabinet meeting at Nabanna in Kolkata.

Source: Kolkata Today

Adhikari said newly recruited teachers would not be permitted to contest elections to panchayats, municipalities, the state Assembly or the Lok Sabha, and that the provision will be incorporated into the West Bengal School Service Commission recruitment rules for future appointments.

The Chief Minister clarified that existing teachers already holding political or elected roles will be exempt, because no such restriction existed at the time of their original appointment, KalimNews reported. The rule will therefore apply only to teachers recruited in future through the School Service Commission.

Source: KalimNews

Adhikari said the government wanted teachers to focus on education and maintain the dignity of the profession, and pointed to similar practices already in place in states such as Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, according to the reports.

The same Cabinet meeting also approved permanent Group D government jobs for one eligible member of each family bereaved in the October 17 Chorbagan Durga Puja pandal stampede, subject to eligibility and domicile requirements, adding to the Rs 25 lakh compensation earlier announced for each bereaved family.

The teacher-politics provision will take effect through the relevant government and School Service Commission recruitment rules, the reports said. No date for the amended rules was given in the Cabinet announcement.