Nagpur Education Scam: Bribes, Fake IDs, 3 Officials Held

Nagpur Education Scam: 3 Officials Arrested in Fake Teacher ID Case

In a major corruption case from Nagpur, India, three government education officials have been arrested for helping unqualified people get hired as teachers by using fake documents. The scam centers around the misuse of a government system known as Shalarth, which manages teacher identities and payments in Maharashtra.

The arrests come after a months-long investigation into suspicious teaching appointments and forged paperwork submitted to the education department.

Who Was Arrested?

The three arrested officials are:

• Nilesh Shankarrao Meshram – A senior superintendent in the Nagpur education department

• Sanjay Shankarrao Dudhalkar – Worked in the office of the Deputy Director of Education

• Suraj Punjaram Naik – A senior clerk in the same office

Police say these officials created and approved fake Shalarth IDs, which are digital records that confirm a teacher's employment status. These IDs allowed people with no proper qualifications or experience to be hired as government school teachers and receive salaries and promotions illegally.

How the Scam Worked

Investigators believe the scam started as early as 2019. Here’s how it worked:

1. Fake teaching certificates and other forged documents were created.

2. Officials in the education department approved these documents without proper checks.

3. Shalarth IDs were issued based on those fake records.

4. Using the fake IDs, unqualified individuals were given jobs as teachers, some even as headmasters.

5. These individuals received government salaries and other job benefits.

One example is Parag Nanaji Pudke, who was made headmaster of a school in Bhandara district, even though he had no teaching experience. Officials say Pudke paid a bribe of over ₹10.5 lakh (around $12,600) to secure his fake job.

Larger Network Under Investigation

This is not an isolated incident. Authorities believe the scam may involve over 580 fake teacher appointments across Maharashtra. These appointments were all processed through the Shalarth system, which should only be used for verified government teachers.

The scam reportedly led to huge losses in taxpayer money and raised serious concerns about the integrity of the education system in Maharashtra.

What Is the Shalarth System?

The Shalarth system is a digital platform used by the Maharashtra government to manage the records, salaries, and benefits of school employees. Every teacher gets a unique Shalarth ID, which acts like their job identity in the system. Misusing this system allows fake employees to enter payroll without proper background checks.

Investigation Still Ongoing

Police have said that the investigation is still ongoing. More arrests are expected as they uncover the full scale of the scam. Government officials are also reviewing past recruitments across the state to check for additional fake appointments.

The case has drawn national attention in India, with calls for stronger monitoring and reform in education hiring practices.