HC Orders Maharashtra Govt to Probe Teacher Recruitment Irregularities

The Bombay High Court has directed the Maharashtra government to form divisional-level committees to probe irregularities in teacher recruitment, after finding evidence that several private educational institutions bypassed the official Pavitra Portal while appointing teachers.

The court described the malpractice as “systemic and widespread,” warning that it undermines public accountability, especially since salaries of such teachers are paid from public funds.

Earlier, the state had formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to look into a large-scale recruitment scam first uncovered in Nagpur, where 580 fake teachers and staff were found employed across 12 aided schools using forged documents and signatures. Several senior officials were also suspected of involvement.

School Education Minister Dada Bhuse had previously admitted that the issue extended beyond Nagpur, with irregular appointments being reported from multiple districts.

The division bench of Justices Ravindra V. Ghuge and Ashwin D. Bhobe issued the order on October 19, while hearing petitions filed by the Sudhagad Education Society from Raigad district. The society’s proposal for regularising teachers as Shikshan Sevaks had been rejected for not following the Pavitra Portal process.

The petitioners argued that the portal was non-functional at the time of recruitment. However, the education department produced evidence showing that the portal was fully operational and that the Society had an active login ID prior to the appointments. The court held that the institution made false statements under oath and attempted to mislead both the government and the judiciary.

The bench noted that the institution had not recruited a single teacher through the Pavitra Portal in eight years despite the process being mandatory.

As a result, the High Court directed the Principal Secretary of the School Education and Sports Department to constitute three-member committees in every division, headed by the Deputy Director of Education, to inspect aided schools, identify violations, and submit reports for further action.

Additionally, the court ordered the government to draft a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) within six months to ensure uniform compliance across the state. The SOP must include:

• Verification of Pavitra Portal login IDs for all aided schools,

• A 7-day response time for education officers on communications,

• Uploading surplus teacher details on district websites, and

• Ensuring transparent advertisements with proper reservation details.

Launched in June 2017, the Pavitra Portal was designed to make teacher recruitment transparent and merit-based. The court reiterated that recruitment in aided schools amounts to public employment, warning that “backdoor entries” and manipulation will invite strict disciplinary action.