A notification withdrawing the order was yet to be issued till the time of this report going to press. THE MAHARASHTRA Teacher Aptitude and Intelligence Test (MahaTAIT), a pre-recruitment exam to shortlist teachers deemed to have the ability to impart better-quality education to students, has been postponed. The test was to be conducted in February after a gap of four years. It was postponed due to the multi-crore teachers recruitment scam, which has been unfolding since the last two months, and has led to the arrest of the commissioner of the state Examination Council.
For the last couple of years, all teachers’ recruitments have taken place through the Pavitra portal for all zilla parishad, municipal council, private-aided and partially-aided schools. MahaTAIT was conceived as a test to shortlist teachers with the right skills for teacher recruitments, and the test was to be held twice a year through the online portal. However, the exam was conducted only once in December 2017. After much delay, the education department had declared that the exam — a 200-mark offline test — will once again be held in February 2022.
However, the paper leak in the Teacher Eligibility Test conducted by the Maharashtra State Council of Examination and subsequent scam, which led to arrests of several senior education department officials, has cast a shadow on MahaTAIT as well.
Education commissioner Vishal Solanki confirmed that the exam will neither be held in February and nor will they be conducted by the MSCE, which has found itself mired in controversy.
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“It’s true that MSCE will no longer conduct these tests. Three companies have been shortlisted by the state cabinet… they will provide a presentation, after which further decision will be taken. But the test will no longer be held in February since it will take time for preparations… it is likely to be held after April,” said Solanki.
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