Pune: Education Dept Officials Challenge IAS Officer's Appointment As MSBSHSE Chief; MAT To Hear Petition

Pune: The pioneering decision of the state government to appoint an Indian Administrative Service Officer, Trigun Kulkarni, as the chief of Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (MSBSHSE) has been challenged by the education department officials. A petition has been filed in the Maharashtra Administrative Tribunal (MAT) against the appointment of IAS officers as directors and chairmen of institutions under the education department. The MAT will hear the matter soon. 

The institutions under the jurisdiction of the Education Department include the Education Commissionerate, State Council for Educational Research and Training (SCERT), State Examination Council, Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (MSBSHSE), Directorate of Primary Education, Directorate of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education, Directorate of Planning, Balbharti, Maharashtra Primary Education Council. 

Out of these, except for the Education Commissioner, Maharashtra Primary Education Council, an officer from the State Education Service is appointed as the chairman or director of any other directorate or autonomous institution by promotion.

However, for the first time, an IAS officer has been appointed as the chairman of the Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (MSBSHSE). Earlier, IAS officers were also appointed as the directors of the State Examination Council and the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT). Therefore, if the number of IAS officers continues to increase, there is a fear that the promotion opportunities of the officers in the State Education Service will be lost. Therefore, the decision of the state government has now been challenged in the ‘MAT’.

“Promotions in the Education Department were stalled. However, as per the service entry rules for the posts of Chairman and Director, these posts are for officers in the State Education Service. However, appointing IAS officers to these posts will be unfair to the officers in the Education Service,” the petitioner told Loksatta.

“Also, the further chain of promotions will be disrupted. Therefore, a petition has been filed in the ‘MAT’ to appoint only officers from the Education Department to these posts and not to deny the right to promotion. A hearing will be held soon,” the petitioner added. 

Even earlier, around two years ago, the Education Department had decided to appoint officers from the Revenue Department on deputation to the post of Divisional Deputy Director in the Education Department. There was also a strong reaction against this decision. Therefore, an appeal was filed against that decision in the MAT. On this petition, the MAT stayed the appointment on deputation then.