Maharashtra exam council list: Teachers with invalid TET certificates barred for life

In March this year, The Indian Express had reported the beginning of the verification process of these candidates' certificates, after Pune Cyber Police submitted a list of suspected candidates to the Council.

Written by Pallavi Smart

Mumbai | Updated: August 5, 2022 07:40 PM IST

3 min read

If these candidates are appointed anywhere as teachers based on these certificates attained through wrongful means, their appointment has to be cancelled.(Representative Image)

The Maharashtra State Examination Council has issued a list of 7,880 candidates from the Teachers Eligibility Test (TET) 2019 ,whose certificates have been declared invalid and who have been barred for life from appearing for TET ever again to become a teacher. The 480-page letter by the Examination Council, dated August 3, mentions details of these candidates, such as complete name and exam seat number, which can be used by schools to verify if any of them have been appointed.

Teachers Eligibility Test 2019 has been embroiled in a controversy after Pune Police uncovered a scam linked to it.

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In March this year, The Indian Express had reported the beginning of the verification process of these candidates’ certificates, after Pune Cyber Police submitted a list of suspected candidates to the Council. At the end of this independent verification process by the Council, it was revealed that of these 7,880 candidates, 7,500 are those who qualified in the TET by changing marks through wrongful means. As many as 293 candidates did not change marks but managed to get a fake TET qualified certificate and 81 other candidates wrongfully acquired TET pass certificates.

“Six names have been repeated in the list, which is an error. So essentially, there are a total of 7,874 candidates. But we have continued with the list of 7,880 candidates which was issued by the police, to avoid any confusion,” said Shailaja Darade, the commissioner of the Council who has issued the letter, along with the list.

If these candidates are appointed anywhere as teachers based on these certificates attained through wrongful means, their appointment has to be cancelled. “The Council, however, has no means to find out if these candidates have been appointed as teachers in any school. So, we will be forwarding this list to the office of the Director of Education,” added Darade.

According to the initial list of suspected candidates, which was given to the Council for verification by Pune Police, there were candidates from all 35 districts of Maharashtra. But the highest number of these candidates was from Nashik, at 1,154, followed by Dhule with 1,002 candidates. Nandurbar and Jalgaon districts with 808 and 614 candidates, respectively. There were 161 candidates from Mumbai, 257 from Thane, 42 from Raigad, and 176 from Palghar with invalid certificates.

Pallavi Smart

Pallavi Smart is a Principal Correspondent with The Indian Express, Mumbai Bureau. Her reporting is singularly focused on the education sector, demonstrating exceptional Expertise and Authority across the entire spectrum of learning, from foundational schooling to advanced higher education. She is a highly Trustworthy source for policy, institutional developments, and systemic issues affecting students, teachers, and parents in Maharashtra. Expertise Senior Role: As a Principal Correspondent at The Indian Express, her designation reflects her seniority, specialized knowledge, and the editorial rigor applied to her reporting. Core Authority & Specialization: Pallavi Smart is the definitive voice for Education news in the region. Her coverage scope is comprehensive: Policy and Regulatory Changes: Reports on major shifts in educational policy, including the restructuring of entrance exams (e.g., MHT-CET adopting the JEE Main model), the draft regulatory framework for coaching classes, and revised teacher recruitment processes. Higher Education Institutions (HEIs): Provides in-depth reporting on prestigious institutes like IIT Bombay and TISS (Tata Institute of Social Sciences), covering institutional initiatives, administrative debates (e.g., renaming IIT Bombay), and student welfare programs (e.g., mandatory mental health courses). Teachers and Eligibility: Covers crucial issues affecting the teaching fraternity, such as the mandatory Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) for in-service teachers and related controversies and application numbers. Student Welfare & Rights: Focuses on issues concerning students, including the rollout of government scholarships, the financial strain on schools due to midday meal reimbursement delays, and instances of child rights violations (e.g., the Powai studio hostage crisis). Admissions and Vacancy: Tracks the outcome of centralized admission processes (e.g., MBBS, BPharm) and analyzes vacancy concerns, providing essential data-driven insights for parents and students. Credentials & Trustworthiness Dedicated Beat: Her consistent focus on the "KG to PG" education beat allows her to develop unparalleled subject matter knowledge, ensuring her reports are accurate, detailed, and contextualized. Proactive Reporting: Her articles frequently break news on policy and institutional planning, providing the public with timely, essential information about a sector that directly impacts millions of families. She tweets @Pallavi_Smart ... Read More

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