The Maharashtra government is launching an inquiry to ascertain whether some schools have been misusing their minority status to get exemptions under the Right to Education (RTE) Act.
This has been announced by Minister of State (School Education) Pankaj Bhoyar, who said they have received complaints of the minority status being exploited to avail benefits under RTE.
Bhoyar said the government was aware of reports that some 8,000 schools across Maharashtra have received minority status, and except for a few, most others sought the categorisation to avail exemptions under RTE as well as other advantages.
During the inquiry, claims that up to 75 schools were granted status in a single day will also be examined and invite action if any discrepancies are found.
According to the minister, the minority commission chairman is seized of the matter and action would follow against any institution, big or small, if found to be misusing the minority tag.
It may be noted that minority institutions are not required to reserve 25 per cent of the seats for economically weaker sections (EWS).
The minister also responded to complaints made by some schools that some parents had also used forged documents to attain admission under the free quota. Bhoyar promised appropriate action in this case as well, stating that the RTE was brought in to ensure quality education for poor and eligible students.
According to a report in The Times of India, Bhoyar said the state government was committed to ensuring transparency and fairness in the implementation of education-related policies.