Bengal to scrap Madrasah Service Commission, merge it with WBSSC

The West Bengal government is preparing to abolish the West Bengal Madrasah Service Commission and transfer its teacher recruitment responsibilities to the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC), with legislation likely to be introduced in the Assembly after Durga Puja, officials said on Thursday.

The decision, approved by the state cabinet in September, was publicly announced by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on October 6. The proposed restructuring will bring recruitment for recognised madrasahs under the same commission responsible for appointing teachers in other state-run and state-aided educational institutions.

Officials said the government intends to introduce two separate bills, one to repeal the West Bengal Madrasah Service Commission Act, 2008, and another to amend the legislation governing the WBSSC. The changes will require legislative approval before the existing commission can be dissolved and its responsibilities transferred.

Legislation after Durga Puja

Principal Secretary of Education Binod Kumar confirmed that the government was working towards implementing the proposed merger this year. Following passage of the bills in the Assembly, they will be forwarded to the Governor for assent, after which the government will issue the necessary gazette notification.

The administration has maintained that the restructuring is intended to streamline teacher recruitment and establish greater uniformity across educational institutions. Under the proposed arrangement, the WBSSC will assume responsibility for selecting teachers for recognised madrasahs, replacing the separate recruitment mechanism currently in place.

Commission established in 2008

The Madrasah Service Commission was established by the erstwhile Left Front government through legislation enacted in 2008. It was tasked with recruiting teachers for recognised madrasahs in the state, providing a dedicated institutional framework for appointments to these educational institutions.

The commission was constituted after hundreds of madrasahs received recognition as minority educational institutions. Its creation was intended to establish a regulated recruitment process while addressing the specific requirements of madrasah education.

The BJP government, which assumed office in May, has since initiated several changes in the state's administrative and educational institutions. The proposed abolition of the commission marks another significant change to an institution established during the Left Front's tenure.

Recruitment under one body

Officials said the merger would bring madrasah teacher appointments within the broader school recruitment system and reduce the need for separate administrative structures. The government has presented the move as part of its efforts to improve consistency and transparency in recruitment.

However, the proposed restructuring also raises questions about how the existing recruitment framework for minority educational institutions will be accommodated within the WBSSC. The precise provisions governing appointments, institutional representation and the transition of responsibilities will become clearer once the draft legislation is introduced.

Until the necessary amendments are enacted and notified, the Madrasah Service Commission will continue to function under the existing statutory framework.

The government's next step will be to place the proposed bills before the Assembly, where the legal and administrative implications of the merger are expected to receive further scrutiny.