Three months after the state government ordered a probe into schools allegedly misusing the minority status to dodge the 25 per cent reservation mandate under the Right to Education (RTE) Act, the focus has shifted to Ulhasnagar. To verify compliance, notices have been issued to 54 schools in the township, asking them to submit detailed records and supporting documents within the next eight days. These schools have come under Ulhasnagar Municipal Corporation’s (UMC) scanner, which has launched a detailed inquiry following multiple complaints. Acting on sustained follow-ups by the ‘Shika’ education activists’ movement, the UMC has initiated a verification drive to scrutinise whether these institutions genuinely meet the criteria required to claim minority status. The move has triggered anxiety and intense debate within the local education sector.
Failure to adhere to norms
Authorities suspect that several schools may have secured minority status on paper, while failing to adhere to the mandatory norms laid down by the government. “There are serious concerns that the exemption meant for genuine minority institutions is being misused. We are verifying every aspect of compliance,” Deepak Dhangar Administrative Officer, Education Department of the UMC, said.
Recent reports suggested that nearly 8,000 schools in Maharashtra have been granted minority status, with 75 schools getting the grant in a single day. Even in Mumbai the trends shows that more and more number of schools are availing minority status. Until last academic year, out of the 1,731 private schools across Mumbai’s three zones, 950 have been classified as minority institutions. This means that 55 per cent of private schools in the city hold minority status based on linguistic or religious grounds, leaving just 45per cent as non-minority.
As per the data from the Deputy Director of School Education department, of the total 421 private schools in Mumbai south zone, 245 have minority status, 240 out of 527 private schools in Mumbai North zone have minority status whereas 465 out of 783 private schools have minority status in Mumbai west zone.
Authenticity questioned
This significant presence of minority schools has raised concerns among parents, educators, and policy experts. Many are questioning whether these schools genuinely serve their intended minority populations or simply use their status to circumvent obligations under the RTE Act.
Bypassing the RTE?
The RTE Act requires schools to allocate 25 per cent of their seats to disadvantaged communities, including Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), Other Backward Classes (OBC), and economically weaker sections. However, minority institutions are exempt from this provision, providing a compelling incentive for schools to seek minority status and thereby avoid the mandated seat reservations for these groups.
Pankaj Bhoyar, Minister of State (school education) in February said that barring a small percentage, several institutions, may have sought the tag primarily to claim RTE exemptions or other advantages. He said: “We have initiated inquiry in the matter, even the chairman of the minority commission has taken note of this.” The issue in Ulhasnagar gathered momentum after activists flagged discrepancies, alleging that some institutions were using the minority tag purely as a shield against the RTE mandate, without fulfilling eligibility conditions. The ‘Shika’ movement, led by Raj Asrondkar — president of Kaydyane Waaga Public Movement, along with Jyoti Tayde of the Democratic Youth Federation of India, has been at the forefront of this campaign.
As per the Government Resolution dated May 27, 2013, institutions seeking minority status must comply with strict norms. At least 50 per cent of trustees must belong to the concerned minority community. In aided schools, more than half the students must be from minority groups, while unaided schools must have at least 51 per cent minority students. Additionally, admissions must follow merit or a prescribed common process, and both teaching and non-teaching staff must meet required qualifications.
Officials have made it clear that failure to meet the criteria could result in cancellation of minority status. “ In genuine cases and issues we can extend the deadline, but not for those who delay the process wihout any concrete reason,” added Dhangar.
‘Violation deprives EWS students’
Asrondkar told Mirror, that there have been blatant violations in RTE admissions. “Schools have been flouting rules in the name of minority status, depriving many Economically Weaker Section (EWS) children. We havre demanding investigation in the matter and action against schools found guilty,” Asrondkar said. For many institutions, the probe could mean a complete reset. For parents and EWS students, it could determine whether access to education– guaranteed under law — has been unfairly denied.
