Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The School Education Department's proposed move to create a new Project Management Unit (PMU) through the Centre for Entrepreneurship Development Madhya Pradesh (CEDMAP) has come under scrutiny, with departmental sources alleging that four persons have already been identified for the proposed positions even before the formal recruitment process begins.
According to officials, two retired State Education Centre (RSK) officials and two personnel currently working on outsourcing projects are being considered for induction through the new PMU.
The four names are Pramod Singh, deputy secretary; Shitanshu Shukla, additional director; outsourced employee Rahul and Varun, a project coordinator associated with the STARS project.
Sources said Rahul was an outsourced employee who had been removed from his position but continues to work. They alleged that he still has access to login credentials related to RSK projects worth around Rs 5,000 crore.
Sources said CEDMAP is expected to issue an advertisement inviting applications for the proposed posts.
However, they alleged that the four names have already been decided internally and that the recruitment process would subsequently be conducted through CEDMAP.
The alleged arrangement raises questions over whether the proposed PMU is being created to meet a genuine administrative requirement or to provide a fresh contractual route for existing or former personnel.
RSK-CEDMAP ties under scanner earlier
The RSK-CEDMAP relationship is not new. The Madhya Pradesh High Court, while hearing a case in 2024, recorded that an agreement between Rajya Shiksha Kendra and CEDMAP had been used to appoint temporary computer operators/data entry operators.
The court noted that the personnel were employees of CEDMAP, the outsourcing agency, and not the state government.
PMU model used earlier
The RSK has previously used the PMU model. In 2022, a tender was issued for setting up a PMU partner for the Department of School Education to support the CM RISE School Project.
A separate education-sector initiative also identifies a PMU at Rajya Shiksha Kendra for supporting collaboration with strategic and knowledge partners on foundational literacy and numeracy.
CEDMAP provides outsourcing services
CEDMAP is an autonomous, not-for-profit organisation under the MP Department of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises.
It provides manpower outsourcing services to government departments and supplies personnel across skilled, semi-skilled and unskilled categories.
