Latest news with #SanchManyata
Hindustan Times
6 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Government gives status quo on teachers appointment policy
Mumbai: In a significant reprieve for thousands of students and teachers across Maharashtra, the state government has temporarily halted the implementation of the controversial Sanch Manyata policy. The move comes after the Bombay High Court ordered a status quo on the government resolution (GR) dated March 15, 2024, which had sought to revise norms for teacher appointments in government schools. The Sanch Manyata policy had triggered widespread opposition from educators, parents, and activists. A key clause restricted teacher appointments in schools with fewer than 20 students—regardless of the number of classes or grades being taught—effectively allowing just one teacher to manage multiple classes in such institutions. The rule impacted nearly 18,000 government schools across the state, many of them in rural and tribal regions. Critics argued the policy was not only impractical but also a direct violation of the Right to Education (RTE) Act, 2009, which mandates equitable and quality education for all children. A group of 13 parents from Wardha district filed a public interest litigation, drawing statewide attention to the issue. The Sanch Manyata policy had replaced earlier guidelines that ensured subject-specific teachers were available for different classes. During a hearing on May 5, the High Court directed the government to maintain the status quo until further orders. In compliance, the Director of Secondary Education, Mahesh Palkar, issued a circular on Wednesday instructing all education officers to suspend implementation of the new policy. 'All education officers are hereby directed to maintain status quo regarding the Sanch Manyata GR until further notice,' the circular stated. Sharad Gosavi, Director of Primary Education, later confirmed that these instructions were communicated to district officials during a review meeting held on May 21. The decision has been welcomed by teacher unions, though they maintain that the fight is far from over. 'This is a small victory. We will not rest until this GR is completely withdrawn,' said Vijay Kombe, president of the Maharashtra State Primary Teachers Committee. Since its introduction in February for the 2024–25 academic year, the policy has sparked a series of protests and demonstrations in districts such as Wardha, Ratnagiri, and Satara. Educationists and local leaders have repeatedly warned that the policy disproportionately affects students in rural areas, compromising both teaching quality and learning outcomes.
Hindustan Times
17-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Class Dismissed? State under fire for teacher shortfall in govt schools
MUMBAI: A group of 13 parents from Maharashtra's Wardha district have come together to challenge a recent policy of the state government which they say threatens the future of their children's education. The petition, filed before the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court (HC) on Friday, urges the court to quash a government decision that limits teacher appointments in government schools with fewer than 20 students. At the heart of the issue is a government resolution (GR) dated March 15, 2024, which revised teacher appointment norms under a policy known as Sanch Manyata. This policy, now implemented across Maharashtra, links the number of teachers directly to student enrollment numbers, instead of the grades or classes being taught. The petition urges court to quash the GR, arguing that it violates the fundamental Right to Education guaranteed by the Constitution and Right the Education Act (RTE Act), 2009. According to data from the Unified District Information System for Education (UDISE), more than 18,000 schools in Maharashtra currently have fewer than 20 students. Under the Sanch Manyata rules, these schools are allocated just one teacher regardless of the number of grades or classes being taught. This directly contradicts existing standards under the RTE Act, 2009. As per the RTE Act, schools are required to have at least one teacher for Classes 1 to 5, and three subject-specific teachers for Classes 6 to 8, to cover science, mathematics, social science and languages. While previous GRs had respected these norms, the current policy doesn't. 'Instead of hiring the required staff, the government has been assigning just one teacher to handle all classes. This severely affects the quality of education and often leads to school closures. Considering this, the parents have come together and filed a petition in court,' said Vijay Kombe, president of the Maharashtra State Primary Teachers' Committee. The Sanch Manyata policy has drawn widespread criticism ever since it was published for the academic year 2024-25 on February 21. Teachers' unions, educators and local leaders have all opposed the move, but the government has remained unmoved. The impact has been especially severe in districts like Wardha, Ratnagiri and Satara. In Wardha alone, 131 of 321 government schools that have Classes 6 to 8 are at risk. Ratnagiri and Satara districts have even larger numbers, with 1,509 and 1,254 schools affected, respectively. One of the petitioners cited the example of a zilla parishad primary school in Kajalsara, Hingna taluka, in Wardha district. The school runs Classes from 1 to 8, with 30 students in Classes 1 to 5, and 17 students in Classes 6 to 8. Despite this, the new Sanch Manyata allotment sanctioned two teaching posts only, for Classes 1 to 5, and zero posts for Classes 6 to 8. 'This means there will be no subject teachers for middle school students,' the petitioner said. The same situation is no different in zilla parishad school Arambha and Cluster School Nimbha in Samudrapur taluka, Wardha. In several schools where the petitioners' children are enrolled, the GR has sanctioned no teachers at all. Sumedh Moreshwar Butale, a welding worker and one of the petitioners, said, 'As per the provisions of the RTE Act and the notifications under it, three subject teachers are required for Classes 6 to 8. With the new Sanch Manyata, the government is depriving poor families of their children's right to education.' While the state government has claimed in court that there are no formal plans to shut or merge low-enrollment schools, education experts say the policy effectively achieves the same result by rendering schools non-functional. 'Instead of directly closing small schools, the government is taking an indirect route by denying teacher appointments,' said a teacher working in a rural school that has only 18 students. Political voices have also joined the chorus of concern. In early March, J M Abhyankar, a Member of the Legislative Council (MLC) representing the Mumbai Teachers' Constituency, wrote to chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, expressing strong opposition to the policy. 'If the New Education Policy (NEP) is to be implemented effectively, it is necessary to increase the number of teachers. However, instead of maintaining schools, the government is moving towards their closure. This decision will push thousands of students from rural and underprivileged backgrounds into darkness,' he wrote. Parents have also raised the issue of non-teaching duties burdening the already limited staff in these schools. Nitesh Shende, a farmer and another petitioner, said, 'There is a lot of non-educational work already impacting student learning. With this new Sanch Manyata, how can the government ensure quality education with fewer teachers?' An official from the education department said teachers would be appointed according to the new rules. 'If no teacher is assigned as per the guidelines, we will shift students to nearby schools,' the officer added. Dinkar Kambale, a parent of a Class 5 student from a village in Ratnagiri district, remarked, 'If the government plans to shift our children from existing schools to others, it will lead to higher dropout rates. For instance, the nearest school is 5.5 km from the one in our village. How will the transportation of students be managed? Instead, the government should appoint more teachers to existing schools.'
Indian Express
12-05-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
Maharashtra school education dept makes post-mapping mandatory for salary disbursement
In a major change to the process of salary disbursement of teachers in government-run and aided schools in Maharashtra, it is now mandatory to complete post-mapping which essentially aligns the number of teachers working in a school with officially sanctioned posts. Schools have been asked to complete the process of post-mapping by June, failing which salaries for June to be paid in July will not be disbursed by the government. The strict measure comes after the unearthing of the Shalarth scam earlier this year, which exposed how salaries were being drawn for non-existent or unauthorised posts. The scam had revealed how schools had manipulated the system to siphon off funds by showing fake or excess appointments. As the new process of post-mapping based on official sanction for salary disbursement is expected to eliminate human intervention, the government aims to curb financial irregularities in disbursement of salaries. For this purpose, it is decided to integrate two systems–Shalarth, a digital platform which enables salary disbursement and Sanch Manyata, a process which finalises sanctioned posts per school. As a result, the integrated system will automatically cross-verify staff positions with the government's approved list, preventing salaries from being drawn for posts that exceed the sanctioned limit. Maharashtra's directorate of secondary and higher secondary education has issued a circular in this regard. The circular dated April 15, 2025, states that schools must complete the post mapping process, aligned with officially sanctioned posts, by June. 'The salary for June, to be paid in July, will only be processed if this requirement is fulfilled. Similarly, higher secondary schools have been instructed to upload their sanction approval documents in PDF format and complete the mapping by July, ahead of the August salary cycle,' states the circular. The state always had data of approved posts. But this was not aligned with Shalarth. An official from the department further clarified, 'Integration of these systems will leave no room for any tampering. Schools will not be able to seek salary for unauthorised appointments as once a school is selected in the system; it will automatically show the sanctioned number of staff. So that salary cannot be drawn for anyone who is not authorised.' The official noted that this may create issues for teachers marked as surplus, as their salary will now need approval from a higher officer. The official explained, 'Sanctioned posts in a school can change with student numbers. For example, the system might show five sanctioned posts, while the principal has documents for the salary bill of six approved teachers. The sixth is surplus but not unauthorized, and their salary must be issued from the current school until reassigned. This will take time, requiring approvals and system updates.'
