Management of 5 unauthorised schools booked in Panvel for violating RTE Act

Panvel police filed an FIR against five private schools for operating without government recognition, violating the RTE Act, deceiving parents and authorities.

NAVI MUMBAI: The Panvel City Police have registered an FIR against the managements of five private schools in the Panvel region for allegedly running their institutions without mandatory government recognition and UDISE (Unified District Information System for Education) numbers, in violation of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009.

Management of 5 unauthorised schools booked in Panvel for violating RTE Act

The complaint was filed by Shahu Baburao Satpal, 42, Group Education Officer, Panchayat Samiti, Panvel. In his complaint, Satpal stated that despite repeated notices and explicit directives from education authorities, the schools continued to operate, allegedly misleading parents, students, staff and government agencies.

According to the FIR, the schools found functioning without valid recognition certificates from the government or local authority include SGT International School, Karanjade; Vedic T International School, Karanjade; Vedgriha Public School, Karanjade; The Buddhist International School (Primary), Dapoli Pargaon; and The Buddhist International School (Secondary), Karanjade. Officials said the institutions were also operating without independent UDISE numbers, which are mandatory under state rules.

The complainant noted that the RTE Act came into force on April 1, 2010, and Section 18 makes it illegal to run a school without prior recognition. Following instructions from the Chief Executive Officer of the Zilla Parishad, Alibag, who authorised Group Education Officers in Raigad district to initiate criminal action against unauthorised schools, centre heads in the Panvel area were directed to identify such institutions.

After verification, notices were issued on September 11, 2025, to the founders and directors of the five schools, directing them to shut operations, shift students to nearby recognised schools, pay the prescribed penalty, and submit proof of closure along with an undertaking. However, police said inspections later found that the schools continued to function despite the notices.

The complaint further alleged that the schools have been operating without recognition since June 6, 2023, without informing parents of their unauthorised status, thereby allegedly deceiving students, parents, staff and government authorities.

Based on the complaint, police have registered offences against the founders, chairpersons and directors of the schools under relevant provisions of the RTE Act, including Section 18(5). Further investigation is underway.