Over 800 Bogus Schools in Maharashtra Uncovered and Face Imminent Action
Pune, 18th April 2023: All deputy directors of education in Maharashtra State have been directed by the State’s education commissioner, Suraj Mandhare, to take swift and decisive action against fraudulent schools operating within the state.
This order follows reports of fake documents being submitted by some schools, and the subsequent examination of all required documents of schools in the state. The investigation revealed that over 1,300 schools did not have one or more valid documents, and 800 of these were found to be bogus.
The education commissioner has instructed the deputy directors of education to take appropriate action, such as imposing fines, filing FIRs, or closing schools, before April 25th against such schools. These schools have been given a deadline, and no extension will be given to take action after this date.
To ensure that the deadline is met, the education commissioner has given instructions to verify the validity of documents of these schools in the respective divisions and submit a final report on April 18th between 11 am and 5 pm. The commissioner also stressed that care should be taken so that students do not suffer due to the action taken against these schools. Suggestions have been made to give these students admission in nearby schools.
It is worth noting that a few months ago, reports emerged about fake no-objection certificates (NOCs), fire NOCs, and land lease agreements submitted by school managements. Later, the bogus school scam came to light across the state. In response, the state education commissioner instructed all divisional deputy directors of education to take strong action against such school managements.
According to the latest findings, there are 329 unaffiliated, 390 unrecognized, 366 without letter of intent, and 89 penalized schools in the state. Out of these, as many as 100 schools have already been closed permanently. The districts that have seen schools closed so far include Pune, Mumbai, Palghar, Thane, Raigad, Aurangabad, Jalna, Beed, Osmanabad, Nanded, Nagpur, Wardha, Akola, Yavatmal, Nashik, Jalgaon, Ratnagiri, and Sindhudurg.
The state government has formed a committee to check the validity of documents related to the letter of intent, CBSE and other board affiliations, self-recognition certificates, etc., of the schools in the state. The committee includes representatives of the general administration, the estimates and planning commissioner office. They have given instructions to conduct a cross-verification of the valid certificates of these schools in the respective divisions and submit a final report by the deadline given.
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