Maharashtra state govt appoints new education commissioner

The state government of Maharashtra has appointed new commissioner for education, who is an IAS level officer. He will be heading the education department, under whom all the other eight directorates will be functioning.

Keeping in mind the lack of co-ordination between the eight education directorates, the state government had to come up with a decision of appointing a new commissioner.

With the new commissioner joining the act, all the other eight directorates will have to report to the education commissioner who will also monitor the implementation of all state and union government schemes in schools. He shall also be in charge of the Right to Education Act and Mid-Day-Meal scheme.

The eight directorates are located in Pune; they include the Directorates of Primary Education, Secondary Education, Minority and Adult, Maharashtra State Council of Education Research and Training, Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education, Maharashtra State Bureau of Textbook Production and Curriculum Research, Balchitrawani and Maharashtra State Council of Examination.

The main motto of appointing the new commissioner is to ascertain the co-ordination between all the eight directorates, extensive implementation of the present scheme of the government and also to introduce new schemes in order to improve the quality of education in the state.

In addition additionto the eight directorates of education in state, there are 18 joint directorates and 45 deputy directorates functioning under the state education department.

M K Phadke, deputy secretary of the state education department, said, "Many issues had to be solved from a long period of time, and hence a monitoring mechanism in the form of education commissioner was formed. The commissioner's focal point of development will be students and improvement in the quality of education. He can take decisions on distributing work among directors and deputy directors."