After conducting a series of surprise inspections across Rajasthan and Delhi in September, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has withdrawn affiliation of 21 schools and six schools were downgraded from Senior Secondary to Secondary level in Rajasthan and Delhi. The decision is taken by the board based on the "inspection, findings and supported by video-graphic evidence." Among the 21 schools that had their affiliation withdrawn, 16 schools are from Delhi alone and five are from Rajasthan. All the downgraded schools are from Delhi, as stated by CBSE. The affiliation has been withdrawn due to significant numbers of non-attending students in classes 9 to 12 and six schools were downgraded from Senior Secondary to Secondary level. The prime objective of the inspections was to ascertain that the schools were operating in compliance with the norms of regular attendance of students in schools as per Affiliation and Examination Bye-Laws of the Board, CBSE said in an official statement. The Board emphasised that dummy or non-attending schools undermine educational integrity and issued show cause notices, allowing schools 30 days to respond. The vital observations of the surprise inspection committees regarding the irregularities observed during the inspections were communicated as a report to the respective schools. The replies submitted by the schools were examined in detail by the Board. “As the leading national education board with an international presence, we have long been committed to advancing educational reforms, delivering quality education, and fostering the holistic development of students. However, the practice of dummy/ non-attending admissions contradicts the core mission of school education, compromising students' foundational growth,” CBSE said. It further added that to address this issue, CBSE is taking decisive action to combat the proliferation of dummy schools and send a clear message to all affiliated institutions to resist the lure of accepting dummy or non-attending admissions. The Board will continuously strive to ensure that schools adhere to lawful and ethical educational practices, it added. The disaffiliated schools in Delhi are Khemo Devi Public School and The Vivekanand School in Narela; Sant Gyaneshwar Model School, Alipur; P D Model Secondary School, Sultanpuri Road; Sidhhartha Public School, Kanjhawla; Rahul Public School, Rajiv Nagar Extension; Bharti Vidya Niketan Public School, Chander Vihar; R.D. International School, Baprola; Heera Lal Public School , Madanpur Dabas; B.R. International School, Mungeshpur; KRD International School, Dhansa Road and MR Bharti Model Senior Secondary School, Mundka. Three schools in Delhi's Nangloi - USM Public Secondary School, SGN Public School and M D Memorial Public School - have also lost their affiliation. The Delhi schools whose affiliation has been downgraded are Adarsh Jain Dharmic Shiksha Sadan, BS International School, Bharat Mata Saraswati Bal Mandir, Ch Baldev Singh Model School, Dhruva Public School and Naveen Public School.
