A regional school service commission has been established for the Darjeeling, Kalimpong, and Kurseong hills of North Bengal, to address the severe shortage of teachers.
The term of this regional school service commission, specifically catering to the hills, will extend until January 2028. The commission, consisting of seven members, will be led by Vijay Kumar Rai, a retired teacher and resident of Kalimpong according to the West Bengal education department.
Anit Thapa, the chief executive of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) and the leader of the Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha (BGPM), declared that a longstanding demand from the hills has finally been met and that the commission aims to enhance the education system in West Bengal.
Harka Bahadur Chhetri, another prominent leader from the hills, also expressed approval for the establishment of a separate regional school service commission for the hills. He declared that this step will make the appointment process smooth for teachers in state-run schools in the hills, besides the school boards in the hills will have greater autonomy in their operations according to him.
Currently, there are approximately 1,000 primary schools, 300 junior high schools, and 700 high schools in the hills.
