Noida: The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has withdrawn affiliation up to the senior secondary level for Uttarakhand Public School in Sector 56, citing violations of service conditions, workplace safety norms and serious irregularities in salary disbursement, particularly affecting women staff.In an order issued on Feb 18, the Board said students currently enrolled in Classes 10 and 12 will be allowed to complete the 2025-26 academic session on the same campus to avoid disruption. However, students in Classes 9 and 11 will have to be shifted to nearby CBSE-affiliated schools by March 31, before the start of the next academic session.The school has also been barred from admitting new students or promoting existing ones to Classes 9 and 11 through automatic progression. Nearly 1,500 students are to be affected by the order.CBSE said the institution may apply for restoration of affiliation only up to the secondary level after two academic years, in 2027-28, and only if it fully complies with mandatory safety, service and affiliation bylaws.The action follows a detailed inquiry initiated by CBSE after receiving multiple complaints from teachers, most of them women, alleging mental harassment, forced salary deductions and indecent behaviour by the school management. A two-member fact-finding committee, headed by the district inspector of schools (DIOS) and the city magistrate, was constituted to examine the allegations.The committee found the complaints to be substantiated. According to the findings, teachers were working in what was described as a hostile and unhealthy environment, with pressure allegedly exerted on staff to resign if they resisted or raised objections.In its eight-page report, CBSE said the matter had first been referred to the state education department in May last year, following which the joint inquiry was conducted.The committee noted that Rs 68 lakh was returned to teachers after objections were raised during the inquiry into alleged salary deductions. It also flagged governance issues, observing that most administrative decisions were being taken by the school’s manager, Harish Papne, while the principal, Mohini Negi, was not functioning independently or effectively. Based on these findings, CBSE issued a show-cause notice to the school in Aug 2025, seeking an explanation.The school management had denied all allegations, terming the inquiry “biased” and claiming it had not been given an adequate opportunity to participate in the proceedings. The management argued that salary contributions by teachers were “voluntary” and “driven by financial constraints”, alleged a conspiracy by staff members, and maintained that statutory committees under workplace safety laws, including POSH and POCSO, were in place and functional.The school also questioned CBSE’s authority to act solely based on a state-level inquiry.CBSE rejected the explanation, stating that the submissions were “unsatisfactory” and “unsupported by documentary evidence”. The Board said the allegations directly related to safety and the right to a healthy working environment, core requirements under its affiliation bylaws.“The submission of the school that no part of the salary was ever taken by the management and that the teachers voluntarily returned the amounts for the benefit of the school is without any justification,” the order said. S Arun Dharini, CBSE regional officer for Noida, said the order had been received by the regional office and that steps were being taken to ensure students were not adversely affected during ongoing board examinations. “Immediate measures will be taken to assure a better future for students currently studying there,” he said.The fate of Classes 1 to 8 has been left to district education authorities, who will take a call based on further reports. Teachers aggrieved by termination or service-related violations have been advised to approach appropriate state authorities or legal forums.District inspector of schools (DIOS) Rajesh Kumar said the case reflected stronger regulatory action against private school managements facing serious complaints. “For students of Classes 1 to 8, the department will hold a meeting with the basic education officer and arrive at a decision,” he said.Repeated attempts to contact the school management for a response did not elicit any reply. In April 2023, Noida Authority had sealed the school over non-payment of land cost dues amounting to Rs 20 crore.
