8 months after row, Maharashtra lifts ban on granting minority status to schools

The government has also designated the administrative head of the minority development department to issue minority status to institutions

Mumbai: The Maharashtra government on Thursday revoked the suspension on granting religious and linguistic minority status to educational institutions, months after a controversy erupted over a spate of approvals issued immediately after then deputy chief minister and minority development minister Ajit Pawar died in a plane crash in late January.

Among the institutions granted minority status during the contentious period in January were 25 schools run by Podar International School, all of which received approval on January 29, a day after Ajit Pawar’s death. (Satyabrata Tripathy/HT Photo)

The government has also designated the administrative head of the minority development department to issue minority status to institutions. The administrative head refers to a senior bureaucrat, such as the additional chief secretary, principal secretary or secretary, according to the order issued by the state minority development department on Thursday.

“The measure is expected to bring uniformity and transparency to the process of issuing minority status certificates, ensure time-bound disposal of pending cases, and effectively implement the verification of certificates,” the order said.

The development comes eight months after the government suspended the issuance of minority status certificates in February, when it came to light that 75 institutions across the state were granted minority status within three days of Pawar’s death on January 28. Pawar’s widow, Sunetra Pawar, who succeeded him as deputy chief minister, currently holds the minority development portfolio.

Along with the suspension, the state government also ordered an inquiry headed by B Venugopal Reddy, additional chief secretary of the higher and technical education department. Milind Padmanabh Shenoy, the deputy secretary of the minority development department, whose digital signature was used on the certificates, was removed from his post.

Religious and linguistic minority status offers educational institutions significant regulatory, administrative, and financial benefits. These include exemption from the 25% admission quota under the Right to Education (RTE) Act and certain mandatory caste-based reservation requirements. Institutions may also prioritise students from their respective minority communities, subject to applicable laws.

In Maharashtra, government assistance to minority schools increased from ₹2 lakh to ₹10 lakh annually, incentivising institutions to seek this status. Additionally, minority institutions enjoy greater autonomy in admissions, staff recruitment, and internal administration, providing them with greater operational flexibility and reduced regulatory constraints.

Among the institutions granted minority status during the contentious period in January were 25 schools run by Podar International School, all of which received approval on January 29, a day after Pawar’s death. Schools managed by St Xavier’s institutions and those run by trusts linked to spiritual leaders Swami Shanti Prakash and Swami Devprakash also featured in the list.