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After ‘Shalarth Scam’, details of over 5 lakh school staff uploaded online

Education department officials said that this was the first time such documents were being made available for the public.

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IN a bid to increase transparency after irregularities in the Shalarth system or the ‘Shalarth Scam’, Maharashtra Primary Education department has uploaded details of all private-aided school teaching and non-teaching staff and local body school teachers on the Shalarth website. These details include teacher name, name of school and management type, joining date, retirement date, and last drawn salary.

Education department officials said that this was the first time such documents were being made available for the public. Details of over 2.93 lakh private-aided school employees and 2 lakh local body school teachers can be accessed on the website.

The data has been uploaded divisional board-wise, in PDF format, for the eight boards: Mumbai, Nashik, Pune Kolhapur, Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar, Latur, Nagpur, and Amravati. The files are searchable with each containing thousands of pages of teacher details.

In 2024, irregularities in the Shalarth system were brought to light in Nagpur. As the Education Department’s salary payroll system, Shalarth, after 2019, was allegedly used by some deputy directors of education to appoint ineligible teachers using fake documents. Some Shalarth IDs were even created for non-existing employees. These IDs were then used to draw salaries.

In August 2025, schools had been asked to resubmit Shalarth IDs and recruitment documents of all staff at their schools by Education Commissioner Sachindra Pratap Singh. For staff appointed between November 2016 and July 2025, schools had to upload the individual approval order, Shalarth ID order, appointment letter from the private school management, and joining report. For staff appointed from November 2012 to November 2016, when Shalarth IDs were not issued, the appointment letter, joining report, and individual approval must be uploaded.

The Indian Express reported that over 99 per cent of these documents had been resubmitted by private-aided schools till the first week of March 2026. Now, the education department has made these details available online.

Mahesh Palkar, Director of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education, said “As per provisions of the Right to Information Act, we have decided to publish information on the website. To increase transparency after the Shalarth irregularities is a main objective and we followed through with it as it falls under the provisions of the RTI Act.”

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Reacting to the move, veteran educationist Mahendra Ganpule told The Indian Express, “Oftentimes, school headmasters were asked by the education department or by citizens through RTI applications about such details. Now that they are available online in an official manner, it will help reduce such workload on the school. Any person should now look up the information they need themselves.” Ganpule also agreed that this move will help curb irregularities like the one in Shalarth IDs.

Soham Shah is a Correspondent with The Indian Express, based in Pune. A journalism graduate with a background in fact-checking, he brings a meticulous and research-oriented approach to his current reporting. Professional Background Role: Correspondent coverig education and city affairs in Pune. Specialization: His primary beat is education, but he also maintains a strong focus on civic issues, public health, human rights, and state politics. Key Strength: Soham focuses on data-driven reporting on school and college education, government reports, and public infrastructure. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) His late 2025 work highlights a transition from education-centric reporting to hard-hitting investigative and human-rights stories: 1. Investigations & Governance "Express Impact: Mother's name now a must to download birth certificate from PMC site" (Dec 20, 2025): Reporting on a significant policy change by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) following his earlier reports on gender inclusivity in administrative documents. "44-Acre Mahar Land Controversy: In June, Pune official sought land eviction at Pawar son firm behest" (Nov 9, 2025): An investigative piece on real estate irregularities involving high-profile political families. 2. Education & Campus Life Faculty crisis at SPPU hits research, admin work: 62% of govt-sanctioned posts vacant, over 75% in many depts (Sept 12, 2025): An investigative piece on professor vacancies at Savitribai Phule Pune University. "Maharashtra’s controversial third language policy: Why National Curriculum Framework recommends a third language from Class 6" (July 2): This detailed piece unpacks reasons behind why the state's move to introduce a third language from class 1 was controversial. "Decline in number of schools, teachers in Maharashtra but student enrolment up: Report" (Jan 2025): Analyzing discrepancies in the state's education data despite rising student numbers. 3. Human Rights & Social Issues "Aanchal Mamidawar was brave after her family killed her boyfriend" (Dec 17, 2025): A deeply personal and hard-hitting opinion piece/column on the "crime of love" and honor killings in modern India. "'People disrespect the disabled': Meet the man who has become face of racist attacks on Indians" (Nov 29, 2025): A profile of a Pune resident with severe physical deformities who became the target of global online harassment, highlighting issues of disability and cyber-bullying. Signature Style Soham is known for his civil-liberties lens. His reporting frequently champions the rights of the marginalized—whether it's students fighting for campus democracy, victims of regressive social practices, or residents struggling with crumbling urban infrastructure (as seen in his "Breathless Pune" contributions). He is adept at linking hyper-local Pune issues to larger national conversations about law and liberty. X (Twitter): @SohamShah07 ... Read More


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