The high court of Bombay at Goa has instructed relevant government authorities to begin the process of regular promotion for the position of principal at Shree Ganesh Higher Secondary School in Ganeshpuri-Mapusa. The court emphasized that the practice of temporary appointments cannot continue indefinitely and ordered the departmental promotion committee to convene promptly to address the matter. The court mandated that the promotion process be completed within two months to fill the vacancy left by the previous principal's retirement on July 31.

In a case brought forward by Shilpa Pai Panandikar, the court directed the school management to consider appointing her as the interim principal based on seniority and to make a decision within ten days. The court stressed the importance of respecting seniority in such appointments and highlighted the significance of adhering to this principle unless there are valid reasons to deviate from it.

Advocate Rui Gomes Pereira argued on behalf of the school management that Sandeep V Palni was given the interim principal position due to his educational background in science as the school was introducing science subjects for the first time. However, the court deemed this reasoning insufficient and reiterated the importance of prioritizing seniority in such appointments."The importance of considering seniority when assigning officiating roles should not be overlooked. In a specific case, Shilpa felt she should have been given the role of principal and sought legal assistance from senior counsel S D Lotlikar to challenge the decision. The High Court noted that according to Rule 86 of the Goa Education Rules 1986, vacancies for principal positions in higher secondary schools should be initially filled through promotion. It is emphasized that managements should prioritize selecting the most senior teacher for such positions."