452 illegal schools face closure in Mumbai, nearby districts

Closure notices were issued to 164 schools within the jurisdiction of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) after they were found operating without the required permission

Mumbai: Maharashtra’s school education department has stepped up action against hundreds of schools operating illegally without government recognition in Mumbai and nearby districts, including Thane, Palghar, and Raigad.

Closure notices were issued to 164 schools within the jurisdiction of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) after they were found operating without the required permission. (Pic for representation)

At least 452 schools have been issued closure notices, police complaints have been filed against 190, the UDISE numbers of 43 schools have been deactivated, and penalties have been imposed on 296 schools, according to information submitted by the Mumbai division of the school education department.

Closure notices were issued to 164 schools within the jurisdiction of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) after they were found operating without the required permission. FIRs have been filed against 77 schools, and the BMC has already shut down eight. Around 1,200 students from these illegal schools will be shifted to government or aided schools, officials said.

The deputy director of the school education department has also authorised school inspectors to file criminal complaints against the management of illegal schools. Police complaints have been filed against schools in areas including Shivajinagar-Govandi, Malvani and Deonar, while action against the remaining schools is in progress.

Of the 164 illegal schools identified in Mumbai, recognition proposals for 45 schools have been submitted to the school education department for approval. The remaining 119 schools have been reported to the central government’s Samagra Shiksha department to have their UDISE (Unified District Information System for Education) numbers deactivated. Complaints have also been filed with senior police officers regarding these 119 schools, officials said.

The school education department has proposed stricter action against schools that continue to operate despite being served closure notices. Under Section 18(5) of the Right to Education Act, 2009, such schools may face a fine of ₹1 lakh and an additional penalty of ₹10,000 per day for each day they continue to operate.

The department has also proposed publishing an updated list of illegal schools twice a year through newspapers, government websites and social media. Recognised schools will also have to prominently display their government recognition number, UDISE number and board affiliation details.