Contract Expiry, Not Policy Clash, Led to Adani Takeover of Cement Nagar School, says senior office bearer
Sister Philo, an office bearer of the CMC, clarified that the decision not to renew their contract with ACC Limited was made independently of the Adani Group
A senior member of the Congregation of the Mother of Carmel (CMC) has dismissed reports of policy differences leading to the handover of a prestigious school in Maharashtra to the Adani Foundation. Sister Philo, an office bearer of the CMC, clarified that the decision not to renew their contract with ACC Limited was made independently of the Adani Group's involvement.
The Mount Carmel Convent Senior Secondary School in Cement Nagar, Chandrapur district, Maharashtra, has been a subject of recent controversy. Founded in 1972 by ACC Limited as part of its corporate social responsibility programme, the CBSE-affiliated school had been managed by the CMC nuns for over five decades. In September 2024, management of the school was transferred to the Adani Foundation, the CSR arm of the Indian multinational conglomerate Adani Group.
Addressing the situation, Sister Philo told HT: "The school was owned by ACC. It was run by CMS sisters. Our agreement with ACC was ending. We told them that we do not want to renew our contract. So we handed the school back to management. There's no problem with the policy. That's all wrong news. ACC spoke to them [Adani Foundation]. We have no connection with them."
This statement contradicts earlier reports suggesting that the nuns stepped aside due to differences in policy and priority with the Adani Group. Sister Leena, the school's former principal, had previously told UCA News: "We moved out of the school on 1 September, after handing it over to Adani Group. We did not want to work under Adani Group, which has commercial interests as their priority. Their policy and our policy are totally different, so we have moved out."
The Adani Foundation, in an official statement, said the transfer was initiated "as per the wishes and decision of the Carmel Education Society to discontinue managing the school." They added that ACC had requested the Foundation to take over the school's management in June 2023.
The coeducational school, with approximately 2,000 students, has been a topic of concern for some. Maharashtra Legislative Council member Ambadas Danve criticised the move on social media, stating: "Maharashtra is on sale… The government is handing over the land, industries and schools to Adani. Now the administration of Chandrapur's Mount Carmel School has been directly handed over to the Adani Group by the government. The government has given this best example of selling Maharashtra!"
Uddhav Thackeray also commented on the issue, questioning: "I thought that Adani's influence was limited to Mumbai, but now I learn that Mount Carmel School has been handed over to him. Can Adani be considered a national figure worthy of running our schools?"
The Adani Foundation has stated that they are working on infrastructure development, teacher training, and student support services. They aim to acquire NABET (National Accreditation Board for Education and Training) accreditation by 2025. Meanwhile, the CMC has requested the removal of 'Mount Carmel' from the school's name, given their disassociation from the institution.
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