Mumbai, June 25 (IANS) In a major policy decision aimed at preventing educational losses for students in rural and remote parts of Maharashtra, the state government has significantly relaxed teacher-staffing metrics for the 2025-26 academic year.
Minister of State for School Education Pankaj Bhoyar on Thursday announced in the Legislative Council during Question Hour that secondary schools in rural and remote regions will now be permitted to have three teachers if the combined student enrolment for Classes 9 and 10 is 20 or more.
The decision marks a major shift from the earlier Government Resolution (GR) dated March 15, 2024. Under the previous rule, three teachers were permitted only if the combined student count was at least 40 in schools located within a 3 to 5 km radius of a zero-post school.
However, following representations from public representatives and an assessment of ground realities, the state revised its directives via an official letter on May 11, 2026.
Bhoyar explained that students in urban areas have multiple educational options nearby. In stark contrast, rural students, especially girls, often have to travel to neighbouring villages just to attend school. He said the government kept independent criteria for rural areas to stop them from dropping out.
Responding to sub-questions raised by legislators Kiran Sarnaik, Pramod Jathar, Sanjay Khodke, Niranjan Davkhare, Vikram Kale, and Aniket Tatkare, the minister emphasised that integrity in recruitment remains a top priority.
He noted that the High Court, on November 14, 2025, dismissed a petition challenging the government’s earlier directives, affirming that the March 15, 2024, GR is in strict compliance with the Right to Education (RTE) Act, 2009.
To iron out further anomalies, Bhoyar promised to convene a special meeting with Teacher MLAs immediately after the current assembly session.
Further, the minister announced that the state government will soon organise a high-level meeting in the concerned minister’s chamber to find a comprehensive solution regarding the regular service integration of contractual teachers working in the PESA (Provisions of the Panchayats Extension to Scheduled Areas) regions of Gadchiroli.
He gave the assurance in this regard in the Legislative Council during a discussion on a Calling Attention motion moved by MLC Sudhakar Adbale, with active participation from leader Bachchu Kadu.
Bhoyar informed the house that recruitment for PESA areas is conducted through competitive processes, including the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET), the Teacher Aptitude and Intelligence Test (TAIT), and the centralised Pavitra Portal.
He clarified that the core objective of the PESA Act is to maximise employment opportunities for tribal youth, with reservation quotas calculated strictly against the local Scheduled Tribe (ST) population.
While a reservation-related dispute remains pending before the Supreme Court, the government had proactively hired teachers on a contractual basis locally to prevent any academic gaps for remote tribal students, he said.
He further added that while teachers selected through proper TET and TAIT processes have already been regularised, the process for other eligible local teachers is currently being updated in accordance with the General Administration Department’s (GAD) resolution dated February 11, 2026.
Moreover, Bhoyar, in his reply to another question raised by MLC Chitra Wagh regarding the lack of secure sanitation facilities for girls across state schools, said that the state government has pledged to execute a fresh statewide baseline survey and finish all necessary civil constructions within the next four to six months to ensure that separate, safe toilets and essential amenities are provided for schoolgirls.
The minister admitted that data on the central U-DISE portal, uploaded directly by school principals and teachers, indicates critical infrastructure deficits.
A fresh audit will target the immediate installation of separate, secure toilets for girls and boys, assured drinking water systems and electricity, sanitary pad vending machines for adolescent girls, and dedicated library rooms where they are missing.
To speed up execution, the state plans to converge multiple funding avenues, utilising resources from the District Planning Committee (DPC) funds alongside Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and other state social welfare allocations, said the minister.
–IANS
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