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Maharashtra schools told to form alumni associations, expected to help with infrastructure

These associations, common in many private schools and colleges, will now be formed by all Zila Parishad, Municipal Corporation, private aided and unaided schools.

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The government resolution (GR) in this regard was issued by the School Education and Sports Department on October 1. (Express Photo)

Maharashtra government has asked schools in state to form alumni associations with an aim to rope in their support for improving the infrastructure and ancillary facilities of the institute and student development.

The government resolution (GR) in this regard was issued by the School Education and Sports Department on October 1.

These associations, common in many private schools and colleges, will now be formed by all Zila Parishad, Municipal Corporation, private aided and unaided schools.

Roles assigned

The association will be tasked with organising reunions and gatherings and alumni members are expected to help improve the infrastructure quality of the school such as toilets, drinking water facility, painting, repairing, school beautification, playground, library, laboratories, and computers. In addition to financial help, the alumni will be expected to provide career guidance, competitive exam guidance, and educational materials to students. Art and cultural programmes and social initiatives such as tree plantations can also be conducted by the alumni for the current students of the school, the GR said.

School principal secretary of alumni association committee

As per the order, an alumni association committee will be formed by every school for the management of the association and it will meet at least two times a year.

The committee will comprise an elected president, vice-president, the headmaster/principal of the school as secretary, an elected treasurer, and members and advisory members. An online system of registration will also be created for former students to join. Any alumni who wishes to donate to a school would have to donate through this association to maintain financial transparency.

Dr Vasant Kalpande, educationist and former Director of Education of Maharashtra, described the move as a positive step. “I am in favour of this move. An increase in interactions with people outside the school, importantly stakeholders like alumni, is good. All good schools have relations with their former students. They might be working in various fields that can be helpful to the schools. They can help organise events and provide guidance to kids.”

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On multiple occasions in the last few months, Maharashtra Higher and Technical Education Minister Chandrakant Patil has said that hiring of professors in state universities is struggling due to poor state finances and has recommended the use of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds for such hiring.

Educationist Mahendra Ganpule, however, was not supportive of the decision. “For many years such alumni associations have been working in various schools. But for the government to come out with a GR in this regard means that it wants to throw off its financial responsibility and expect that the public and former students carry it. The work of the headmaster will also increase as he has been made the secretary.”

Countering the argument, Kaplande said there is no decision that the financial onus has been put on the alumni. “The government or the school cannot make any compulsion for financial donations. If someone wants to donate willingly then there cannot be any issue in that,” Kaplande clarified.

Soham Shah

Soham Shah is a Correspondent with The Indian Express, based in Pune. A journalism graduate with a background in fact-checking, he brings a meticulous and research-oriented approach to his current reporting. Professional Background Role: Correspondent coverig education and city affairs in Pune. Specialization: His primary beat is education, but he also maintains a strong focus on civic issues, public health, human rights, and state politics. Key Strength: Soham focuses on data-driven reporting on school and college education, government reports, and public infrastructure. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) His late 2025 work highlights a transition from education-centric reporting to hard-hitting investigative and human-rights stories: 1. Investigations & Governance "Express Impact: Mother's name now a must to download birth certificate from PMC site" (Dec 20, 2025): Reporting on a significant policy change by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) following his earlier reports on gender inclusivity in administrative documents. "44-Acre Mahar Land Controversy: In June, Pune official sought land eviction at Pawar son firm behest" (Nov 9, 2025): An investigative piece on real estate irregularities involving high-profile political families. 2. Education & Campus Life Faculty crisis at SPPU hits research, admin work: 62% of govt-sanctioned posts vacant, over 75% in many depts (Sept 12, 2025): An investigative piece on professor vacancies at Savitribai Phule Pune University. "Maharashtra’s controversial third language policy: Why National Curriculum Framework recommends a third language from Class 6" (July 2): This detailed piece unpacks reasons behind why the state's move to introduce a third language from class 1 was controversial. "Decline in number of schools, teachers in Maharashtra but student enrolment up: Report" (Jan 2025): Analyzing discrepancies in the state's education data despite rising student numbers. 3. Human Rights & Social Issues "Aanchal Mamidawar was brave after her family killed her boyfriend" (Dec 17, 2025): A deeply personal and hard-hitting opinion piece/column on the "crime of love" and honor killings in modern India. "'People disrespect the disabled': Meet the man who has become face of racist attacks on Indians" (Nov 29, 2025): A profile of a Pune resident with severe physical deformities who became the target of global online harassment, highlighting issues of disability and cyber-bullying. Signature Style Soham is known for his civil-liberties lens. His reporting frequently champions the rights of the marginalized—whether it's students fighting for campus democracy, victims of regressive social practices, or residents struggling with crumbling urban infrastructure (as seen in his "Breathless Pune" contributions). He is adept at linking hyper-local Pune issues to larger national conversations about law and liberty. X (Twitter): @SohamShah07 ... Read More

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