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Pavitra portal mandatory, complete ban on indirect appointments
Bombay High Court's shocking decision to bring transparency in teacher recruitment process; Pavitra portal mandatory, complete ban on indirect appointments
Mumbai, October 29, 2025 (Special Representative): The bell of a significant change has rung in the school education system in Maharashtra. The Bombay High Court has given a shocking decision to the state government and has given clear orders that now all types of teacher recruitment processes will have to be carried out only and only through the 'Pavitra' portal. With this decision, the practice of making direct or indirect appointments in schools has been completely curbed. The court has also warned that strict action will be taken against the school management if the rules are violated. This decision is being seen as an important step taken to curb corruption and biased behavior in school education.
If we talk about the background of this decision, for the last few years, many complaints were coming to light in Maharashtra regarding irregularities and lack of transparency in the teacher recruitment process. Especially in private and aided schools, appointments were made by selecting candidates directly by the management, bypassing government rules. This meant that suitably qualified candidates were not getting opportunities and there were allegations that recruitment was dependent on 'pardo' or 'sambandhu'. A case was filed in the Bombay High Court through a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) against such irregularities. According to the evidence presented by the petitioners in the court, it was also stated that lakhs of rupees of government funds were being wasted due to direct recruitment in many schools without using the Pavitra portal.
The judge expressed strong displeasure with the state government's education department while hearing the case. The court said, "Teacher recruitment is not just an administrative process, it is the foundation stone for the bright future of the future generation. If there is no transparency and equal opportunities in it, the entire education system will be at risk." In this decision, the court, while making the use of the Pavitra portal mandatory, also emphasized its features. Pavitra portal is a digital platform of the Maharashtra government, which was launched in 2017. It provides online registration of candidates, submission of applications, eligibility check and declaration of results, all the tasks are done in one place. Since this portal is linked to qualifying tests like TET (Teacher Eligibility Test) and CTET, only eligible candidates can move forward. This reduces manual intervention and also eliminates the possibility of corruption.
The court has given clear instructions on how this decision will be implemented. It will now be mandatory for all government, aided and private schools (for Marathi medium) to use the Pavitra portal for the recruitment process. Direct interviews or appointments as per the wishes of the management will not be possible. Apart from this, selection will be made only from the candidates registered on the portal. In case of violation of the rules, an FIR will be lodged against the school management and a fine will be imposed on them. The government has also been ordered to ensure the availability of the portal, especially for schools in rural areas. A period of three months has been given for this to resolve the technical issues.
Experts are of the opinion that the impact of this decision on schools and teachers is positive. Prof. Sunita Deshpande, head of an educational institution, said, "This decision will bring equality in the teacher recruitment process. Now meritorious candidates will get the right place and the quality of schools will increase." However, some school managements are expressing displeasure over this decision. The head of a private school in Mumbai said, "The portal is being used well, but internet facilities are inadequate in rural areas. This will complicate the process." Still, teachers' unions have welcomed the decision. The Maharashtra State Teachers' Association said, "This is a long-standing demand. Now corruption will be curbed."
This decision is a revolutionary step considering the state of school education in Maharashtra. There are about 10 lakh teaching posts in the state, of which 20 percent are vacant. Over 50,000 teachers have been recruited through the Pavitra portal in the last five years, which has speeded up the process by 40 percent. However, several petitions were filed as some schools were still following the old system. The court in this decision also directed the government to improve the portal, such as developing a mobile app and making offline mode available for rural areas.
This decision in the education sector will not be limited to Maharashtra alone, but will be a guide for other states as well. The central government has also recommended starting a similar digital platform at the national level. It is hoped that this decision will increase transparency in school education and students will get quality teachers. The state government has announced immediate implementation of these orders, and the education secretary said, "We will strengthen the process by following the court's instructions." This decision will undoubtedly be a new era for Maharashtra's education system. But it is important to see how it will be implemented. Will the future of education be bright by relying on the 'sacred' method in the teacher recruitment process? These are the question marks that have arisen.
Bombay High Court's shocking decision to bring transparency in teacher recruitment process; Pavitra portal mandatory, complete ban on indirect appointments
Mumbai, October 29, 2025 (Special Representative): The bell of a significant change has rung in the school education system in Maharashtra. The Bombay High Court has given a shocking decision to the state government and has given clear orders that now all types of teacher recruitment processes will have to be carried out only and only through the 'Pavitra' portal. With this decision, the practice of making direct or indirect appointments in schools has been completely curbed. The court has also warned that strict action will be taken against the school management if the rules are violated. This decision is being seen as an important step taken to curb corruption and biased behavior in school education.
If we talk about the background of this decision, for the last few years, many complaints were coming to light in Maharashtra regarding irregularities and lack of transparency in the teacher recruitment process. Especially in private and aided schools, appointments were made by selecting candidates directly by the management, bypassing government rules. This meant that suitably qualified candidates were not getting opportunities and there were allegations that recruitment was dependent on 'pardo' or 'sambandhu'. A case was filed in the Bombay High Court through a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) against such irregularities. According to the evidence presented by the petitioners in the court, it was also stated that lakhs of rupees of government funds were being wasted due to direct recruitment in many schools without using the Pavitra portal.
The judge expressed strong displeasure with the state government's education department while hearing the case. The court said, "Teacher recruitment is not just an administrative process, it is the foundation stone for the bright future of the future generation. If there is no transparency and equal opportunities in it, the entire education system will be at risk." In this decision, the court, while making the use of the Pavitra portal mandatory, also emphasized its features. Pavitra portal is a digital platform of the Maharashtra government, which was launched in 2017. It provides online registration of candidates, submission of applications, eligibility check and declaration of results, all the tasks are done in one place. Since this portal is linked to qualifying tests like TET (Teacher Eligibility Test) and CTET, only eligible candidates can move forward. This reduces manual intervention and also eliminates the possibility of corruption.
The court has given clear instructions on how this decision will be implemented. It will now be mandatory for all government, aided and private schools (for Marathi medium) to use the Pavitra portal for the recruitment process. Direct interviews or appointments as per the wishes of the management will not be possible. Apart from this, selection will be made only from the candidates registered on the portal. In case of violation of the rules, an FIR will be lodged against the school management and a fine will be imposed on them. The government has also been ordered to ensure the availability of the portal, especially for schools in rural areas. A period of three months has been given for this to resolve the technical issues.
Experts are of the opinion that the impact of this decision on schools and teachers is positive. Prof. Sunita Deshpande, head of an educational institution, said, "This decision will bring equality in the teacher recruitment process. Now meritorious candidates will get the right place and the quality of schools will increase." However, some school managements are expressing displeasure over this decision. The head of a private school in Mumbai said, "The portal is being used well, but internet facilities are inadequate in rural areas. This will complicate the process." Still, teachers' unions have welcomed the decision. The Maharashtra State Teachers' Association said, "This is a long-standing demand. Now corruption will be curbed."
This decision is a revolutionary step considering the state of school education in Maharashtra. There are about 10 lakh teaching posts in the state, of which 20 percent are vacant. Over 50,000 teachers have been recruited through the Pavitra portal in the last five years, which has speeded up the process by 40 percent. However, several petitions were filed as some schools were still following the old system. The court in this decision also directed the government to improve the portal, such as developing a mobile app and making offline mode available for rural areas.
This decision in the education sector will not be limited to Maharashtra alone, but will be a guide for other states as well. The central government has also recommended starting a similar digital platform at the national level. It is hoped that this decision will increase transparency in school education and students will get quality teachers. The state government has announced immediate implementation of these orders, and the education secretary said, "We will strengthen the process by following the court's instructions." This decision will undoubtedly be a new era for Maharashtra's education system. But it is important to see how it will be implemented. Will the future of education be bright by relying on the 'sacred' method in the teacher recruitment process? These are the question marks that have arisen.
Mumbai, October 29, 2025 (Special Representative): The bell of a significant change has rung in the school education system in Maharashtra. The Bombay High Court has given a shocking decision to the state government and has given clear orders that now all types of teacher recruitment processes will have to be carried out only and only through the 'Pavitra' portal. With this decision, the practice of making direct or indirect appointments in schools has been completely curbed. The court has also warned that strict action will be taken against the school management if the rules are violated. This decision is being seen as an important step taken to curb corruption and biased behavior in school education.
If we talk about the background of this decision, for the last few years, many complaints were coming to light in Maharashtra regarding irregularities and lack of transparency in the teacher recruitment process. Especially in private and aided schools, appointments were made by selecting candidates directly by the management, bypassing government rules. This meant that suitably qualified candidates were not getting opportunities and there were allegations that recruitment was dependent on 'pardo' or 'sambandhu'. A case was filed in the Bombay High Court through a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) against such irregularities. According to the evidence presented by the petitioners in the court, it was also stated that lakhs of rupees of government funds were being wasted due to direct recruitment in many schools without using the Pavitra portal.
The judge expressed strong displeasure with the state government's education department while hearing the case. The court said, "Teacher recruitment is not just an administrative process, it is the foundation stone for the bright future of the future generation. If there is no transparency and equal opportunities in it, the entire education system will be at risk." In this decision, the court, while making the use of the Pavitra portal mandatory, also emphasized its features. Pavitra portal is a digital platform of the Maharashtra government, which was launched in 2017. It provides online registration of candidates, submission of applications, eligibility check and declaration of results, all the tasks are done in one place. Since this portal is linked to qualifying tests like TET (Teacher Eligibility Test) and CTET, only eligible candidates can move forward. This reduces manual intervention and also eliminates the possibility of corruption.
The court has given clear instructions on how this decision will be implemented. It will now be mandatory for all government, aided and private schools (for Marathi medium) to use the Pavitra portal for the recruitment process. Direct interviews or appointments as per the wishes of the management will not be possible. Apart from this, selection will be made only from the candidates registered on the portal. In case of violation of the rules, an FIR will be lodged against the school management and a fine will be imposed on them. The government has also been ordered to ensure the availability of the portal, especially for schools in rural areas. A period of three months has been given for this to resolve the technical issues.
Experts are of the opinion that the impact of this decision on schools and teachers is positive. Prof. Sunita Deshpande, head of an educational institution, said, "This decision will bring equality in the teacher recruitment process. Now meritorious candidates will get the right place and the quality of schools will increase." However, some school managements are expressing displeasure over this decision. The head of a private school in Mumbai said, "The portal is being used well, but internet facilities are inadequate in rural areas. This will complicate the process." Still, teachers' unions have welcomed the decision. The Maharashtra State Teachers' Association said, "This is a long-standing demand. Now corruption will be curbed."
This decision is a revolutionary step considering the state of school education in Maharashtra. There are about 10 lakh teaching posts in the state, of which 20 percent are vacant. Over 50,000 teachers have been recruited through the Pavitra portal in the last five years, which has speeded up the process by 40 percent. However, several petitions were filed as some schools were still following the old system. The court in this decision also directed the government to improve the portal, such as developing a mobile app and making offline mode available for rural areas.
This decision in the education sector will not be limited to Maharashtra alone, but will be a guide for other states as well. The central government has also recommended starting a similar digital platform at the national level. It is hoped that this decision will increase transparency in school education and students will get quality teachers. The state government has announced immediate implementation of these orders, and the education secretary said, "We will strengthen the process by following the court's instructions." This decision will undoubtedly be a new era for Maharashtra's education system. But it is important to see how it will be implemented. Will the future of education be bright by relying on the 'sacred' method in the teacher recruitment process? These are the question marks that have arisen.
