In a significant move to combat the practice of dummy admissions, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has withdrawn the affiliation of 21 schools and downgraded six others from senior secondary to secondary level. This action follows a surprise inspection conducted in September across schools in Delhi and Rajasthan, which revealed several irregularities, according to CBSE officials.
CBSE Secretary Himanshu Gupta highlighted that dummy admissions, where students enroll but do not attend classes, undermine the essential goal of education and student development. “To address this issue, we are taking decisive action against dummy schools and sending a clear message to all affiliated institutions to adhere to proper educational practices,” Gupta stated.
The inspection reports were communicated to the schools in question, detailing the observed non-compliance with CBSE’s attendance norms and examination bylaws. Show-cause notices were issued to these institutions, giving them 30 days to respond. Upon thorough review of the schools’ replies and examination of videographic evidence, CBSE proceeded to withdraw the affiliations of 21 schools and downgrade six others.
Out of the 21 disaffiliated schools, 16 are located in Delhi, while the remaining five are in the coaching hubs of Kota and Sikar, Rajasthan. These regions are well-known for their competitive exam preparation centers. Many students aiming for engineering and medical entrance exams choose to enroll in dummy schools to dedicate more time to exam preparations without attending regular classes, taking advantage of state quota benefits in higher education.
The schools in Delhi that lost their affiliation include Khemo Devi Public School, The Vivekanand School (Narela), Sant Gyaneshwar Model School (Alipur), PD Model Secondary School (Sultanpuri Road), and others, totaling 16 institutions. The six schools downgraded in Delhi include Adarsh Jain Dharmic Shiksha Sadan, BS International School, and Bharat Mata Saraswati Bal Mandir, among others.
Earlier in the year, CBSE had already cancelled the affiliations of 20 schools for similar reasons, reinforcing its stance on maintaining educational integrity and compliance with its regulations.
