The school service commission (SSC) will extend the last date for submission of online forms for the appointment of schoolteachers at least by a week, said an official.

The online submission of applications started on June 16 and was scheduled to continue till July 16.

According to a commission official, candidates could not use three of the 31-day window to submit forms.

“Submission of forms started at 10.30pm on June 16. We cannot count June 16 because the process started late. Thereafter, the link to submit forms had to be shut for two days — June 21 and June 22. The link was restored on June 23,” the official said.

“Considering the loss of days and demand to extend the deadline from job aspirants, SSC has decided to extend the deadline by a week,” he said.

SSC chairperson Siddhartha Majumder said: “There is a possibility of the last date being extended”.

More than 2 lakh candidates had applied till Saturday, Majumder told The Telegraph.

According to an official, SSC started receiving application forms from June 16. It followed the state government’s June 8 notification and identified the categories that could be accorded other backward classes (OBC) reservation in jobs and education.

On June 17, a division bench of Calcutta High Court imposed an interim stay till July 31.

“The government told us on June 20 not to receive any category-wise applications. Accordingly, we had to moderate the link and keep it shut for two days,” said the official.

Several job aspirants insisted on a deadline extension because the Supreme Court will hear petitions filed by the state and SSC, seeking a review of the April 3 sack order after the apex court reopens on July 14.

“The candidates want the deadline to be extended by two weeks. We can extend it only by a week,” the official said.

The selection test is likely to take place in the first week of September.