Imagine this: someone pays ₹25 lakh and gets a government teacher’s job, no exams, no interviews, nothing. Just money under the table. Sounds unreal, right? But that’s exactly what’s been happening in Maharashtra for years.
This isn’t just a small fraud. It’s a massive teacher recruitment scam that has possibly crossed ₹1,000 crore, and it’s finally coming to light.
It All Started with Missing Files
Back in 2017, some education department files suddenly went missing from Nagpur. These weren’t just any papers. They contained documents of people applying for teaching jobs, proof of their education, applications, and appointment letters.
When questioned, officials gave a strange explanation: “The files were handled by a man named Someshwar Netam… he must have lost them.”
There was just one problem: Netam had retired in 2014 and had passed away.
So, how could he be handling files in 2017?
This one lie opened a huge can of worms.
Fake Appointments Using a Dead Man’s Signature
Turns out, fake appointment letters were being created, backdated, and signed using Netam’s name, years after his death.
This meant people were getting teaching jobs illegally, and the whole system was helping them do it.
Some were never even real teachers — just names on paper, created to withdraw salaries every month.
Others were real people who paid ₹20–25 lakh to get the job.
Former MLC Nago Ganar raised his voice about this scam and said it’s not just limited to Nagpur. “This is happening in many districts. We’re just seeing the tip of the iceberg,” he warned.
The Real Victims? People Like You and Me
These kinds of scams don’t just harm the government. They hurt common people in many ways:
- A qualified candidate from a small town might study hard for years, but still lose the job to someone who just paid a bribe.
- Students end up learning from unqualified teachers who don’t know the subject properly.
- Parents waste money and hopes on a good education that never happens.
- And every taxpayer pays the price, because the government uses our money to pay these fake salaries.
Let’s say you’re a farmer, an auto driver, or even a private employee. You save up and send your child to a school, hoping they’ll get a better life.
But what if that child’s teacher got the job through a bribe and doesn’t even know the basics?
That’s where the real damage is done, silently, slowly, and deeply.
What Is the Government Doing Now?
After all this came out, the Maharashtra government passed a new law in 2024 to prevent cheating and fraud in competitive exams.
They’ve also launched a website called PAVITRA, which is meant to make teacher recruitment more transparent and online.
But laws alone won’t solve the problem. If the same people running the system are corrupt, then even the best law becomes useless.
Why This Story Matters
Scams like this show us how the system fails honest people. A job that should go to someone smart and hardworking ends up with someone who just paid money.
It’s not just about teachers. It could be police jobs, bank jobs, government posts — anything.
And when this becomes normal, hard work becomes pointless. That’s a dangerous place for any society to be in.
As Nago Ganar said, “If we open up records from all over Maharashtra, the number will shock everyone.”
Maybe it’s time we all stop ignoring these stories — and start asking louder questions.
