Pune: Authorities to Verify If Minority Schools Meet 51% Minority Student Rule

Pune, 6th March 2026: The education department has initiated action to address alleged irregularities in minority-status schools in Pune city. The Deputy Director of Education for the Pune Division has directed officials to conduct a detailed inspection of such institutions.

The move comes amid concerns that some private schools may have obtained minority status to bypass provisions of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 (RTE). Following a report published by Sakal, the education department has ordered a comprehensive inquiry into minority institutions operating in the city.

Under the RTE Act, private schools are required to reserve 25 percent of seats for students from economically weaker sections and disadvantaged groups. However, over the past four to five years, several schools have reportedly applied for minority status to avoid complying with these provisions and other regulatory conditions set by the education department.

Various organisations had earlier criticised the education authorities over the issue and demanded strict action against such schools. In response, officials have now ordered a thorough investigation into minority schools across Pune.

Preliminary observations suggest that some institutions obtained linguistic minority status to claim exemption from the 25 percent RTE admission quota. However, admission data reportedly shows that the number of students belonging to the declared minority community in some of these schools is very low, while the majority of students belong to other communities.

Officials will now verify whether schools granted minority status are complying with the mandatory requirement of admitting at least 51 percent students from the respective minority community. Schools found violating the criteria or failing to meet prescribed conditions could face administrative action.

“The concerned officials have been instructed to carry out a detailed inspection of minority schools in the city and submit a report to the Deputy Director of Education’s office within one month,” said Dr. Ganpat More, Deputy Director of Education, Pune Division.

Raising similar concerns, Dhananjay Dalvi, city president of the Maharashtra Navnirman Vidyarthi Sena (Pune), said that several schools holding minority status are not meeting the basic requirement of maintaining at least 51 percent students from the minority community.

“A detailed inquiry is necessary. After examining the reports, strict administrative action should be taken against schools that are found violating the norms,” Dalvi said.