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The Bombay High Court, comprising Justices G S Kulkarni and Neela Gokhale, has ordered the Maharashtra government to remove Ganpat More from his post as Deputy Director of Education, Pune Region.
This came while the Court was hearing a pension case filed by a retired teacher. The Court also told the state to appoint someone more capable in his place, saying this was necessary given how badly the pension case had been handled.
Who Is Premlata Gore?:
The case was brought by Premlata Suresh Gore, a retired lecturer from Abasaheb Garware College, Pune. She wanted the benefits available under the Old Pension Scheme, following the Maharashtra Civil Services (Pension) Rules, 1982.
Gore had worked as a part-time teacher on an aided post starting June 20, 1992, and continued in that role until June 30, 2010. After that, she became a full-time lecturer on a fully aided post from July 1, 2010, and retired on January 31, 2022.
Why Her Claim Was Rejected:
Once she retired, Gore applied for benefits under the Old Pension Scheme. But her request was turned down because her full-time appointment started in 2010 — after the cut-off date of November 1, 2005. As a result, she was placed under the Defined Contribution Pension Scheme/National Pension System instead.
A Second Rejection, Despite Court Orders:
Gore had already gone to the High Court once before. In July 2025, the Court told the authorities to look at her case again, keeping in mind a Full Bench ruling on pension benefits for employees of aided educational institutions. Despite this, the Deputy Director of Education rejected her claim again on October 30, 2025.
The Lawyer’s Argument:
Gore’s lawyer, Advocate Kumud Bhatia, argued that the years she worked part time, from 1992 to 2010, on an aided post, should also be counted while calculating her total years of service for pension purposes.
Court Calls the Order “Mechanical”:
The High Court said the October 30 order was “wholly mechanical,” arbitrary, and high-handed. It pointed out that the order completely ignored the specific issue the Court had asked the authority to look into again.
“Complete Defiance of Law”:
The Bench remarked, “We have repeatedly come across cases where the officer has acted in complete defiance of law, thereby causing serious prejudice to teachers who are consequently required to knock on the doors of this court. We accordingly direct the Secretary, School Education and Sports Department, Government of Maharashtra, Mantralaya, to withdraw the charge of Deputy Director of Pune Region, Pune, from Mr Ganpat More.”
“Sheer Harassment,” Says Court:
The Court added, “This is sheer harassment of the petitioner, who is a retired employee and a senior citizen. We find that there is a total lack of sensitivity of the incumbent officer, Mr Ganpat More, in dealing with issues concerning pension and the cases of senior citizens, not only in the present case but also as noted by us in the other cases. The duty of the incumbent officer was certainly to act with sensitivity, empathy and compassion.”
The Bench also said the officer’s conduct was “quite gross and reflect[s] brazen illegality,” noting that public servants must follow the rule of law and relevant rules while carrying out their duties.
“Not Fit” for Public Office:
“We are of the clear opinion that a public servant who has shown utter disregard for the rule of law, for the orders passed by this court, and who has no sensitivity and conscience in dealing with the pension issues of senior citizens, as also who has caused such unwarranted harassment to the citizens, in our opinion, cannot be said to be a fit person to discharge public duties on such important post,” the Court stated.
New Officer to Be Appointed
The High Court therefore directed the Maharashtra government to promptly appoint a capable officer to replace Ganpat More as Deputy Director of Education, Pune Region.
Case Details: Premlata Suresh Gore vs. State of Maharashtra&Ors
