As per Government Resolution dated 29 October 1963, the State Institute of Education was established in January 1964 with the objective of improving the quality and standards of education in the state. As per Government Resolution dated 11 August 1984, various state-level government educational institutions were merged with the State Institute of Education, and in 1984 it was renamed as the Maharashtra State Council of Educational Research and Training (MSCERT), Pune.
Under Section 29 of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009, through Government Resolution dated 17 October 2016, the Maharashtra State Council of Educational Research and Training, Pune was declared as the “Academic Authority”.
As per Government Resolution dated 24 August 2017, the name “Vidya Pradhikaran, Maharashtra State, Pune” was changed to “Maharashtra Vidya Pradhikaran, Pune”. Subsequently, as per Government Resolution dated 1 June 2018, it was renamed as “Maharashtra State Council of Educational Research and Training (Vidya Pradhikaran), Pune”.
Further, as per Government Resolution dated 29 November 2019, the institution was renamed as “State Council for Educational Research and Training, Maharashtra” in English.
- 1) To study national and international definitions of quality and determine benchmarks for improving the quality of education in the state, and to revise these benchmarks periodically as required.
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2) For achieving the defined benchmarks:
• Curriculum development
• Syllabus development
• Development of textbooks and other learning materials
• Continuous professional development of teachers and officers
• Development of assessment processes
• Conducting research to overcome challenges
To maximize the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) / computer technology for all the above. - 3) To clearly define Learning Indicators at all levels to ensure clarity in achieving benchmarks and establish their linkage with Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation (CCE) or other assessment processes.
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4) While developing curriculum, syllabus, learning materials, and planning professional development programs for teachers and officers, special attention shall be given to competency-based thinking. Under the Right to Education Act, education must be provided to 100% of children. However, during implementation, it has been observed that many teachers and officers do not fully believe that 100% of children can learn. This is rooted in societal misconceptions regarding human capability.
Since individuals differ in physical characteristics, belief systems, castes, economic classes, geographical origin, place of residence, and urban-rural background, recognizing that all humans are equal is the most important element of empowerment. The Council shall continuously work in this direction. Understanding interdependence among all types of people will clarify the concept of capability. This aspect will be discussed in detail while describing the work of the competency division. - 5) To develop materials for various learning and development opportunities such as open and distance learning, self-learning, group and center-level discussions, online self-learning and discussions, certification programs, or combinations of these.
- 6) To enrich the capacities of all stakeholders involved, including District Institutes of Education and Training (DIETs), block and cluster-level resource persons, and teachers.
- 7) To ensure effective and continuous implementation, the Council shall select its own members and plan continuous professional development for them so that institutional stagnation does not occur at the council level. Thus, a culture of continuous learning will be promoted, linking learning benefits to knowledge acquisition rather than financial gain.
- 8) The success or failure of the Academic Authority shall be measured solely by whether students are progressing as per the defined benchmarks. Accordingly, the authority will determine its success or failure based on the assessment of student progress.
- 9) A detailed description of the functions of various departments of the restructured Council will be prepared. This document will be developed with the objective of creating a progressive educational Maharashtra based on national and international benchmarks. For this purpose, empowerment of members selected through a defined recruitment process will be essential. During this empowerment process, detailed departmental work plans will be prepared approximately every six months and published with government approval.
