Education: In a significant step towards addressing 'dummy admissions,' the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has withdrawn the affiliations of 21 schools and downgraded six schools from senior secondary to secondary level. This decision follows a surprise inspection conducted in September at schools in Rajasthan and Delhi, during which several lapses were identified.

What is the motive of surprise inspections in schools?

The CBSE Secretary, Himanshu Gupta, stated to PTI that the practice of dummy or non-attending admissions contradicts the core mission of school education and hinders students' essential growth. To address this issue, the board is taking strong measures to combat the rise of dummy schools. They aim to send a clear message to all affiliated institutions, urging them to reject the temptation to accept dummy or non-attending admissions. He further added that the vital observations of the surprise inspection committees regarding the irregularities observed during the inspections were communicated as a report to the respective schools.

Affiliation of 21 schools withdrawn, six downgraded

He also said that the replies submitted by the schools were examined in detail by the Board. Based on the inspection findings and supported by videographic evidence, affiliation of 21 schools was withdrawn and six schools were downgraded from senior secondary to secondary level," he added.'

According to the data, the affiliation of 21 schools have withdrawn, of which, 16 are in Delhi while five of them are in Rajasthan's coaching hubs -- Kota and Sikar.