‘Which documents can kids show as proof of nationality?’

MUMBAI: After the state government asked law aspirants to submit nationality certificates before confirming their admissions to colleges, Mumbai schools are seeking

MUMBAI: After the state government asked law aspirants to submit nationality certificates before confirming their admissions to colleges, Mumbai schools are seeking clarity on the documents required while issuing leaving certificates (LCs). They recently wrote to the education department asking if students will be required to produce nationality certificates on lines of the law college admissions.

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For the first time, all schools in Maharashtra have to adopt a uniform format for LCs, recently developed by the department, from this academic year according to a government resolution issued on September 20. This format asks for a student’s details such as nationality and religion, which were earlier not required by most schools.

Rohan Bhat, chairperson of the Children’s Academy Group of Schools in Kandivli a Wnd Malad, has filed an RTI query seeking some clarity on the issue. “On what basis should we write the students’ nationality on the leaving certificates? The state didn’t accept passports as proofs in law admissions so which documents should we ask for?” asked Bhat.

Schools said they couldn’t see the point of asking such details on the LC. “The department hasn’t said anything about why information like religion and subcaste needs to be on the LC and how we are to check it,” said Father Francis Swamy, principal, St Mary’s (ICSE) Mazgaon and joint-secretary of Archdiocesan Board of Education that runs 150-odd schools in Mumbai.

The education department said this information will help students seeking higher education. “Some schools don’t ask for caste in the LC. This makes it difficult for students seeking admission under quotas in colleges,” said BB Chavan, deputy director of education, Mumbai region.