Not even SSC, but 7 get to stay on education panel

Seven members of the Thane Municipal Corporation’s education committee, disqualified less than a fortnight ago for not having cleared their SSC exams, will get to keep their places on the panel, reports Urvi Mahajani.

Seven members of the Thane Municipal Corporation’s education committee, disqualified less than a fortnight ago for not having cleared their SSC exams, will get to keep their places on the panel.

HT Image

Less than a fortnight after issuing a notification disqualifying them, the state government has issued a fresh notification staying its earlier order.

The Primary Education Act, 1947, says a member nominated on an education panel should at least have cleared the SSC exam or any other equivalent exam.

Acting on a Bombay High Court order issued in June 2009, the state on February 26 disqualified the seven officers as they did not meet this requirement. But the U-turn means 377 other education committees in municipal corporations/councils in the state can continue with officers who aren’t SSC pass.

The new notification, issued on March 6, merely states the earlier one is temporarily stayed “as per orders of the Governor.”

The educational standards of committee members came in for scrutiny after Vikrant Chavan, ex-member of the TMC’s education committee, filed a petition in the high court seeking action against ineligible members. The court gave the state three months to amend the Act.