Till the first week of March, the Maharashtra education department has received documents of 2,93,915 of the 2,95,885 teachers in primary and secondary schools in the state. (Representative Image)The Maharashtra State Education Department has received documents of over 99 per cent of teachers and staff in primary and secondary private-aided schools, according to data accessed by The Indian Express.In August 2025, schools had been instructed to resubmit Shalarth IDs and recruitment documents of all teaching and non-teaching staff in light of the Shalarth ID irregularities in Nagpur. The ‘Shalarth ID scam’ exposed the use of fake Shalarth IDs and TET certificates to approve and pay non-existent staff from government funds.Accordingly, till the first week of March, the department has received documents of 2,93,915 of the 2,95,885 teachers in primary and secondary schools in the state. Documents of the remaining 2,796 teachers and staff members have not yet been received.After the ‘Shalarth ID Scam’ came to light in Nagpur post-2024, the Education Department decided to implement a revised procedure for the approval of Shalarth IDs. Education Commissioner Sachchandra Pratap Singh had ordered that for staff appointed between November 2016 and July 2025, schools must 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, the appointment letter, joining report, and individual approval must be uploaded.Now, the compilation process for this data is in its final stages. According to the received data, out of a total of 2,95,885 teaching and non-teaching staff, 43,898 are employed in primary schools and 2,51,987 in secondary education schools. The 2,796 employees who have not yet submitted documents include 709 teachers at the primary level and 2,087 teachers at the secondary level.“A decision on withholding salaries and allowances of teachers and employees will be made after verifying why they have not submitted the documents,” said Dr Mahesh Palkar, Director, Secondary and Higher Secondary Education, Maharashtra.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 MoreClick here to join Express Pune WhatsApp channel and get a curated list of our stories© The Indian Express Pvt LtdTags:Maharashtra education