Hundreds of Unrecognised Schools Still Operating Across Maharashtra Despite Repeated Crackdowns
Mumbai, 30th October 2025: Despite repeated government directives and legal provisions under the Right to Education (RTE) Act, hundreds of unrecognised schools continue to function across Maharashtra, exposing major gaps in regulation and enforcement.
According to official data, 674 unrecognised schools are still operating in the state — including 560 primary and 114 secondary schools. The highest numbers are reported in Mumbai (239), followed by Thane (148), Palghar (143), and Pune (34). While most are affiliated with the state board, a few CBSE and ICSE institutions have also been found functioning without government approval.
Under Section 18(5) of the RTE Act, 2009, schools running without recognition face penalties of ₹1 lakh and an additional ₹10,000 per day for continued non-compliance. However, enforcement has remained inconsistent over the past three years.
The issue first came to public attention in May 2022, when then school education minister Varsha Gaikwad assured swift action against institutions lacking a No Objection Certificate (NOC) or departmental permission. Despite the announcement, progress on the ground remained limited.
In January 2023, the Directorate of Secondary Education issued a circular instructing divisional offices to identify and shut all unrecognised schools before the start of the new academic year. Yet, an RTI query filed by education activist Nitin Dalvi revealed that as of January 2024, many schools were still operating. In Mumbai alone, FIRs were registered against 25 institutions, 12 were shut down, and 24 were fined, out of the total 239 unrecognised schools.
Director of Secondary Education Mahesh Palkar acknowledged the challenge of enforcement in urban areas. “Most illegal schools are concentrated in and around Mumbai, Pune, and Nagpur. While unregistered schools in smaller towns have been closed, large cities present a unique problem. We must ensure that students from these schools have a place in recognised institutions before taking strict action. Closing them all at once without a plan would jeopardise the future of thousands of children,” Palkar said.
Education activists, however, argue that the government’s cautious approach has allowed unrecognised schools to continue unchecked, putting students’ academic futures at risk.
As of now, the issue remains unresolved — with authorities caught between enforcing compliance and avoiding large-scale disruption to students already enrolled in these unauthorised schools.
