West Bengal bans new teachers from contesting elections

West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari. File | Photo credit: PTI

Newly appointed teachers in state-run and government-aided schools will no longer be allowed to directly engage in politics and contest elections in West Bengal. This decision was taken in a Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Wednesday (October 28, 2026).

“We have taken a very important decision. In other states, government teachers cannot directly participate in politics. The West Bengal government has taken a historic cabinet decision. From today, all new teachers who will be appointed through the School Service Commission will not be allowed to participate in any direct politics,” the chief minister said.

However, Mr. Adhikari clarified that the cabinet’s decision will not affect teachers who are currently working and have been involved in politics or elected as public representatives. Five current ministers, including Education Minister Dipak Barman, were teachers before entering active politics.

The move, which aims to improve the quality of education in state-run and aided schools, has drawn criticism from several teachers’ associations. Representatives of several teachers’ associations pointed out that in other states, teachers have the status of civil servants, which is not the case in West Bengal, and therefore teachers cannot be asked not to engage in active politics.

“The chief minister cited examples from other states. But since teachers and education workers from other states have the status of civil servants in those states, they cannot be involved in politics. The government cannot keep teachers and education workers from our state out of politics because they are not government employees,” said Swapan Mandal, general secretary of the Bengal Teachers and Education Workers Association. Chandan Maiti, general secretary of the Advanced Society for Headmasters Association, also expressed similar concerns and urged the state government to reconsider its decision.

“Taking away the right of teachers to stand in elections means keeping aside those who are called the backbone of the society. Let the government give teachers the status of civil servants,” said Maiti.

Representatives of the Congress and the Communist Party of India (Marxists) also criticized the decision limiting the rights of teachers. Not only have teachers been elected as MLAs and MPs in the state, but most of the elected representatives of the three-tier panchayat structure in the state are teachers.

Legal challenges

“This unilateral decision by the state government is in no way acceptable. If this initiative is implemented, it will definitely face legal challenges in the courts,” said senior Congress leader Pradip Bhattacharya.

CPI(M) president Sujan Chakraborty raised questions about the poor teacher-student ratio in government schools. “There is a need to improve the overall quality of infrastructure in schools. It is also necessary to protect democracy in school management. The main job of teachers is to teach in schools. However, they are used for ‘non-teaching work’ like SIR or census. The government should pay attention to this,” said Chakraborty.

Published – 29 Oct 2026 22:44 IST