Unrecognised Schools in Bihar and Jharkhand Flagged by Centre
Why in the news
At Project Approval Board talks on the 2025-26 Samagra Shiksha plan, chaired by Sanjay Kumar, Secretary of School Education and Literacy, the Education Ministry drew attention to unrecognised private schools in Jharkhand and Bihar.
Key facts
| State | Unrecognised schools | Teachers |
|---|---|---|
| Jharkhand | 5,879 | 46,421 |
| Bihar | 4,915 | 42,377 |
- Unrecognised school: a private school running with no official licence or recognition.
- Section 19, RTE Act: older schools had 3 years from commencement to meet RTE norms; failure means withdrawal of recognition and closure.
- Norms: adequate buildings, set pupil-teacher ratio, qualified teachers, 25% Class 1 seats for weaker sections, recognition.
About Article 21A and the RTE Act
- Article 21A: free, compulsory education for ages 6-14.
- RTE Act, 2009: effective 1 April 2010; no refusal of admission at any time of year; no holding back or expulsion till elementary schooling ends.
- Globally, the Abidjan Principles on the right to education date from 2019.
- Penalty for running a school after recognition is withdrawn: up to ₹1 lakh, plus ₹10,000 daily for continued violation.
Exam angle
- Data source: UDISE+.
- Reservation in Class 1 under RTE norms: 25%.