Mumbai: Thousands of employees working under the Samagra Shiksha Scheme have been left without jobs after the programme came to a sudden halt, bringing several key education activities across Maharashtra to a standstill.
The scheme was a centrally supported programme that funded and supported school education from pre-primary to Class 12. Considered a backbone of school education, it helped manage key activities like UDISE+ data management, the School Quality Assessment and Assurance Framework, the NIPUN Maharashtra programme, distribution of free textbooks and uniforms, staff approvals, and efforts to bring out-of-school children back into classrooms.
The scheme came to an abrupt end on March 26, and contractual appointments of employees automatically expired on March 31. Typically, employees were hired for six months, followed by a one-month break, after which they were reappointed. This year, fresh appointments were expected from April 2, but no orders have been issued.
The affected workforce includes trained professionals such as engineers, programme officers, computer programmers, MIS coordinators, accounts staff, research assistants and data entry operators. Many of them have been associated with the education system for years, raising concerns about both livelihood and loss of experienced manpower.
Officials fear that without these employees, the implementation of several education related schemes could slow down significantly or even come to a halt, as they were responsible for executing these programmes at various levels.
With the central government halting the scheme and no clear directions from state authorities, around 3,800 employees across state, district and taluka levels have lost their jobs overnight. The administration also remains in the dark, with no official communication regarding the future of the scheme.
A staff member who has worked with the programme for over eight years said the sudden halt has created panic. “We were expecting reappointment as usual after April 1, but suddenly everything stopped. Many of us have been working for years, and now we are left with no income and no clarity about what will happen next,” the staff member said.
Meanwhile, State Project Director Sanjay Yadav said the state has sought guidance from the Central Government on the next course of action following the scheme’s end.
However, with no immediate resolution in sight, both the future of thousands of employees and the functioning of several education programmes remain uncertain, raising serious concerns about the state’s school system.