Calcutta HC Seeks Details from SSC on Objection Fees in Recruitment Exam

February 23, 2026

New Delhi: The Calcutta High Court on Monday directed the West Bengal School Service Commission (SSC) to file an affidavit disclosing details of the money collected from candidates who sought review of allegedly incorrect questions in last year’s recruitment examination.

Hearing the petition, Justice Amrita Sinha asked the Commission to clarify whether the questions flagged by candidates were indeed incorrect and how much money had been charged for raising objections.

Questions on Refund and Legal Basis

The court also sought details on whether any amount was refunded to candidates in cases where questions were later found to be incorrect.

Justice Sinha questioned the legal basis for collecting objection fees, observing that if no specific legal provision permits such charges, the SSC must explain under what authority the money was collected.

The Commission has been directed to submit a detailed affidavit within four weeks addressing all queries.

Allegations Over SLST Examination

The matter relates to allegations that around 24 questions in the second State Level Selection Test (SLST) conducted in September last year were incorrect.

A group of candidates, including Chandan Dhar, moved the High Court challenging both the validity of the questions and the fee charged for raising objections.

Petitioners’ Arguments

Counsel for the petitioners, Firdous Shamim, argued that while fees may be charged for accessing answer scripts, there is no clear legal basis for charging candidates to challenge errors in question papers.

The petitioners contended that charging Rs 100 per question restricted examinees’ rights to seek fair evaluation.

The next hearing in the matter has been scheduled after four weeks.