Bombay High Court
SANJAY PANDURANG MORE AND OTHERSversusTHE STATE OF MAHARASHTRA THR ITS SECRETARY AND OTHERS
- Disposal
- DISPOSED OFF
Holding
Clause 3 of the Government Resolution dated 13‑10‑2016 is discriminatory and violative of Article 14, and therefore the orders based on it are quashed, entitling the petitioners to the subject‑teacher pay scale and arrears.
Summary
A large group of teachers filed writ petitions challenging Clause 3 of a Government Resolution dated 13 October 2016, which denied them the subject‑teacher pay scale. The petitioners argued that the clause was discriminatory and violated Article 14 of the Constitution. The High Court, relying on its earlier decision in Ganesh Mahadeo Asekar (Writ Petition No. 5563 of 2022), held that the clause indeed contravened the equality principle. Consequently, the court declared the clause void as applied to the petitioners, quashed the impugned orders, and directed the Zilla Parishads to grant the appropriate pay scale and any arrears from the date of appointment or qualification. The writ petitions were allowed and the matter disposed of.
Issues considered
- Whether Clause 3 of the Government Resolution dated 13‑10‑2016 is discriminatory and violative of Article 14 of the Constitution with respect to the petitioners.
- Whether the petitioners are entitled to the subject‑teacher pay scale and arrears of salary.
Legislation cited
- Constitution of India — s. Article 14
Subjects
- Article 14
- Equality
- Discrimination
- Government Resolution
- Subject teacher pay scale
- Writ petition
- Quashing order
- Arrear payment
- Public service employment
Judgment
2026:BHC-AUG:44549-DB
1 907-31.odt
IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY
BENCH AT AURANGABAD
907 WRIT PETITION NO. 12853 OF 2026
1. Sanjay Pandurang More
2. Prashant Tukaram Zariwad
3. Bhimashankar Ashokrao Bachhewar
4. Bashveshwar Marotirao Mangnale
5. Bhagwan Narayanrao Sontakke
6. Usha Shripati Bhalerao
7. Kaushalya Baburao Biradar
8. Sachin Shivaji Gawali
9. Sarikha Bhagawanrao Rachotkar
10. Madhav Kalba Bodke
11. Anant Sriram Shiranjipalwar
12. Shyamrao Ramrao Sontakke
13. Sainath Dhonduram Kawtikwar
14. Surekha Ganeshrao Tawde
15. Pranjali Hanmantrao Varwanthkar
16. Brahmanand Ramji Chavan
17. Rajeshwar Laxman Katre
18. Ajay Damodharrao Umak
19. Umakant Digambarrao Kajale
20. Laxman Marotirao Mundkar
21. Yogesh Dasu Vaidya
22. Vinay Parasharam Wairagade
23. Ganesh Babarao Gadhe
24. Sachin Devrao Narwade
25. Shankar Hanmantrao Hiparge
26. Venkat Gopalrao Kokane
27. Ramesh Jayprakash Hiremath
28. Anwari Begam Shaikh Ali
29. Balaji Vithalrao Achewad
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30. Venkat Ujlappa Bhogaje
31. Venkatrao Nagnathrao Mugave
32. Dipak Motiram Warkad
33. Mohammad Raffi Chandsab Aurade
34. Gangaprasad Raghunath Indewar
35. Urmila Sainaji Khillare
36. Vitthal Narayanrao Landge
37. Kavita Govindrao Pekamwar
38. Rupsing Sakharam Jadhav
39. Sangita Vishwambhar Hulsure
40. Mehjabeen Shamshoddin Momin
41. Sultan Maulasab Shaikh
42. Sadanand Ramkrishn Motghare
43. Sudhakar Shesherao Bodke
44. Sikandar Ranveer Dongre
45. Hanmant Madhavrao Thaware
46. Ramdas Parshuram Kendre
47. Maroti Tukaram Vitthalwad
48. Vitthal Tukaram Konde
49. Balaji Nivrutti Hangarge
50. Shabanam Bandenwaj Shaikh
51. Rahul Sureshrao Dhage
52. Sarang Vasantrao Ghule
53. Anilkumar Keshavrao Patil
54. Avinash Vishwanath Dhawale
55. Madhav Shivram Kamble
56. Annasaheb Atmaram Dhokale
57. Anil Vitthalrao Khandekar
58. Nandkishor Gurunath Wadkar
59. Aarti Omprakash Kamtheka
60. Ramesh Vishwnath Swami ... Petitioners
Versus
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The State of Maharashtra
Through Its Secretary And Others … Respondents
...
Mr. Rahul B. Bagul And Sangita R. Bagul, Advocate for the Petitioner
Mr. N. D. Batule, AGP for Respondents
Mr. R. K. Ingole, Advocate for Respondent Nos.4 to 6
...
31 WRIT PETITION NO. 12617 OF 2026
1. Ankush Nagorao Thorat
2. Deepak Pandurang Gore
3. Faruk Shabbirmiya Shaikh
4. Bandu Vitthal Gunjkar
5. Balaji Anandrao Wanje
6. Vinod Maroti Marpalwad
7. Shriram Piraji Satamwad
8. Mohan Nandu Rathod
9. Ramakant Shivmurti Mathpati
10. Gajendra Gangadharrao Gore
11. Gajanan Apparao Shewalkar
12. Yadav Ashokrao Patil
13. Atiya Khatoun M. A. Sattar Khan
14. Kadam Rekha Shankarrao
15. Minhaj Ahmad Abdul Munaf
16. Waghmare Aruna Sakharam
17. Asole Rangnath Taterao
18. Mahajan Varsha Keshavrao
19. Shaikh Aspak Ibrahim
20. Pote Shivdas Ranba
21. Chalak Prakash Vyankatrrao
22. Wakode Baburao Ranoji
23. Rathod Vitthal Uttam
24. Pawar Sanjay Shankarrao
25. Hatte Madhav Shankarrao
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26. Dileep Gunvantrao Naik
27. Dhonde Shevantesh Gangadhar
28. Balwante Ravi Nivrati
29. Namdev Bhagwan Tandale
30. Maroti Kondba Sable
31. Ramdas Dattatrya Thote
32. Mangesh Baburao Chaoutmal
33. Nirmala Hanumantrao Markwad
34. Punam Ashokrao Ghatole
35. Gangadhar Jaywantrao Sontakke
36. Prabhu Shivaji Gawate
37. Shital Uttamrao Kotlwar
38. Sanjay Baliram Sawant
39. Sunita Vishwanath Gire
40. Chiranjeevi Lingareddy Katta
41. Raviraj Ramlingappa Patre
42. Umakant Virbhadra Patre
43. Jadhav Achuta Chakradhar
44. Shrikant Vijayrao Sevankar
45. Prashant Vijayrao Sevankar
46. Chandrakant Rameshwar Kawarkhe
47. Vishwanath Pralhad Rathod
48. Ajitsing Ramsing Thakur
49. Wable Datta Pralhad
50. Bhurke Gajanan Gomaji
51. Khillare Sheshrao Limbaji
52. Ansari Javed Ahmed Abdul Waheed
53. Uzma Parveen Ab-Haleem Ansari
54. Parveen Shaikh Basheer
55. Lata Sitaram Rathod
56. Pandurang Laxman Jagtap
57. Amitkumar Madhukarrao Charpe
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58. Sumaiyya Farheen Mohammed Younus
59. Saleema Bi Gulam Samdani
60. Syed Nazema Begum Syed Sabir Ali
61. Khan Shaziya Nazeen Afzal Ahmed
62. Nadeemuddin Kaleemuddin Shaikh
63. Nagnath Gundappa Lakshette
64. Rajashree Chandrakant Kalambarkar
65. Nageshkumar Gangadhar Asore
66. Shivshankar Mohanrao Vhadgir
67. Nagorao Vithalrao Vhadgir
68. Mohd. Aslam Meraj M. D. Siddique Ahmed
69. Narendrakumar Gopinath Sangewar
70. Deepak Ashokrao Kadam
71. Vibhute Pandurang Kundlikrao
72. Bayas Surendrasinh Kishansinh
73. Pawar Priyanka Sakharam
74. Haran Sunil Sambhaji
75. Deshmukh Bhaskar Baburao
76. Chikhalikar Priyanka Baburao
77. Dhangare Pradip Narayan
78. Shivaji Namdev Shinde
79. Durga Vishnudas Kulthe
80. Sarangayya Bhujangayya Godare
81. Sheikh Maqsud Bakshud
82. Bobade Pratibha Jijarao
83. Bedre Vilas Ganesh
84. Bhalerao Prashant Keshavrao
85. Rajendra Kishanrao Sontakke
86. Reshma Diliprao Muttepawar
87. Arun Shriram Deshmukh
88. Vinodkumar Shankar Honshette
89. Biradar Dhanraj Laxman
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90. Sabir Shah Gulzar Shah
91. Vikas Angadrao Biradar
92. Dhammanand Fakirrao Dhule
93. Bhalchandra Wamanrao Patil
94. Tattapure Manisha Nagnathrao
95. Dahifale Maheshwari Manohar
96. Shep Vitthal Tukaram
97. Shaikh Feroz Usman
98. Nampalle Sandesh Angad
99. Tamanna Virbhadra Vitthalrao
100. Gajjaldwar Tanaji Gangaram
101.Shaikh Feroze Gulam Samadani
102.Quratul Ain Goher Syed Rafiuddin Hashmi
103.Faheem Ahmed Shaikh Raheem Shaikh
104.Kotalwar Dhananjay Kishanrao
105.Revanwar Monica Balaji
106.Shaikh Shabana Afreen Mahomad Ibrahim
107.Amol Nagnath Gavkonde (Penurkar)
108.Sakharam Laxman Gathadi
109.Suraj Sambhaji Kamble
110.Parmeshwar Bhagwat Soradge
111.Surekha Devidas Jawalage
112.Aher Rajkumar Vishwanathrao
113.Kasalwar Balaji Madhavrao
114.Giri Vivek Mohangir
115.Ingole Vijayata Ganpat
116.Deosarkar Niteen Prabhakar
117.Keshav Madhavrao Ghuge
118.Asaram Bhikaji Charhate
119.Kavar Tulshiram Dattarao
120.Tale Ramprasad Vithalrao
121.Deshmukh Sham Manikrao
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122.Murlidhar Babarao Dhawse
123.Barve Vaishali Jambuwantrao
124.Bhagat Avinash Shankarrao
125.Khan Sumaira Anjum Nasrullah
126.Madhav Satvaji Naik
127.Hamed Iqbal Ansari Abdul Muqeet
128.Syed Abdullah Saber Syed Qamar
129.Bhimrao Laxmanrao Sarkate
130.Sanjaykumar Ramchandra Shewalkar
131.Vijay Dalit Pandit
132.Bolegave Baburao Vithalrao
133.Prakash Shrawan Dhabe
134.Minakshi Vishnudas Kulthe
135.Azeem Khan Sattar Khan
136.Sangita Shrirang Khillare
137.Pathan Heena Kausar Saberkha … Petitioners
Versus
The State of Maharashtra
Through Its Secretary And Others … Respondents
...
Mr. Rahul B. Bagul And Sangita R. Bagul, Advocate for the Petitioner
Mr. A. B. Girase, GP for Respondents
Mr. S. B. Ghute, Advocate for Respondent Nos.4 to 6
...
CORAM : NITIN B. SURYAWANSHI AND
ABASAHEB D. SHINDE, JJ.
DATE : 23rd SEPTEMBER, 2026
PER COURT :
1. Indisputably the issue raised in these petitions is
squarely covered by the decision of the Co-ordinate Bench of this
Court at Nagpur in Writ Petition No.5563 of 2022 (Ganesh
Mahadeo Asekar and Others Vs. The State of Maharashtra)
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decided vide judgment dated 08/05/2026.
2. In view of the decision in Ganesh Mahadeo Asekar
(supra) declaring clause 3 of Government Resolution dated
13/10/2016 as discriminatory and violative of Article 14 of the
Constitution of India, as far as the petitioners therein are concerned
and since the petitioners herein are similarly situated, for the
reasons recorded in Ganesh Mahadeo Asekar (supra), we are
inclined to pass the following order :-
ORDER
(a) We declare that Clause 3 of the Government Resolution
dated 13/10/2016 as discriminatory and violative of Article
14 of the Constitution of India as far as the petitioners are
concerned. As such, the impugned orders passed in cases
of these petitioners are quashed and set aside.
(b) We further direct the respondents Zilla Parishads to grant
the benefit of subject teacher pay scale to those petitioners
who are already working as a subject teacher of Classes 6
to 8 from the date of appointment on the post of subject
teacher.
(c) We also direct the respondents Zilla Parishads that the
petitioners, who have acquired the said requisite
qualification during their service, would be entitled to
subject teacher pay scale from the date of acquiring such
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qualification.
(d) We also direct the respondents Zilla Parishads to pay
arrears, if any, to the petitioners from the date of
appointment or date of acquiring qualification as the case
may be, within eight weeks from the date of this order.
3. The Writ Petitions are allowed in terms of the above
directions and disposed of.
(ABASAHEB D. SHINDE, J.) (NITIN B. SURYAWANSHI, J.)
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