In a decisive move to combat the growing issue of dummy school enrollments, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) conducted unannounced inspections at 27 schools across Rajasthan and Delhi on Tuesday, according to top officials. The surprise inspections are part of CBSE’s ongoing effort to ensure compliance with its regulations, reported PTI.
The inspections come six months after the board revoked the affiliation of 20 schools for registering dummy students and admitting ineligible candidates. These surprise checks are a continuation of CBSE's intensified scrutiny of schools suspected of non-compliance with its rules.
“These inspections were strategically planned to ensure that CBSE-affiliated schools are following the prescribed norms and bylaws,” said CBSE Secretary Himanshu Gupta. He added that 27 teams, each comprising a CBSE officer and a principal from an affiliated school, conducted simultaneous inspections across all selected institutions.
Gupta emphasised that the element of surprise was critical in ensuring that the inspections accurately reflected the schools' regular operations. “By keeping the inspections unannounced, we were able to gather reliable data on how these schools are functioning on a day-to-day basis,” he stated.
The findings of these inspections will be reviewed in detail, and appropriate actions will be taken against schools found violating CBSE guidelines. Gupta reaffirmed CBSE’s commitment to stringent monitoring, indicating that similar unannounced inspections will be carried out in the future to ensure that affiliated schools maintain the high standards expected by the board.
The rise of dummy schools is a growing concern, particularly for students preparing for competitive engineering and medical entrance exams. Many students enroll in dummy schools, allowing them to bypass regular attendance while focusing entirely on exam preparation. These students only appear for board examinations, reported PTI.
Aspirants also choose dummy schools to take advantage of state-specific quotas for admissions to medical and engineering colleges. For example, candidates who complete their senior secondary education in Delhi become eligible for the Delhi State Quota in medical colleges, creating an additional incentive to enroll in dummy schools in the capital.
CBSE’s ongoing crackdown seeks to curb such practices, ensuring that students receive a legitimate and balanced education while maintaining the integrity of its affiliated schools.
