The Maharashtra school education department has launched a high-level inquiry into 175 private, permanently unaided schools in Thane for reportedly operating without mandatory recognition under the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act between 2022 and 2025. The move underscores growing regulatory scrutiny of educational compliance in one of the state’s most densely populated urban regions, with wider implications for access to quality, equitable schooling in fast-expanding city suburbs.
Under the RTE Act, all private unaided schools must hold a valid “Form 2” recognition certificate to lawfully function and provide education from primary grades upward. A failure to secure this certification not only breaches statutory norms but can also jeopardise protected seats reserved for children from economically weaker and disadvantaged segments — a cornerstone of India’s inclusive schooling policy.The Thane inquiry follows complaints from education activists and rights groups that schools have been operating without renewing or obtaining required RTE recognition. Officials say similar probes are underway in Nagpur, where 255 schools are under the scanner for comparable compliance concerns.The RTE Act mandates that 25 % of entry-level seats in private unaided schools must be reserved for children from economically weaker sections, with government reimbursement of fees to schools for these reserved seats. However, in recent years, a significant number of schools across Maharashtra have been hesitant to participate fully in this process — citing delays in state reimbursements and operational challenges. Data from the 2026 admissions cycle shows a continuing decline in the number of private unaided schools registering for RTE admissions, even as seats available for disadvantaged students have grown.
Education experts argue that unregulated schooling without proper recognition can distort justice in access, undermine accountability and dilute the impact of inclusion measures such as fee reimbursement and reservation norms. “RTE is not just paperwork,” says an academic specialising in education policy. “It’s meant to guarantee infrastructure, teacher availability and equitable access. Ignoring compliance effectively disadvantages the very children the law is designed to protect.” (Attribution to education policy expert)The state’s renewed enforcement comes at a time when parents and advocacy groups have been vocal about procedural hurdles in RTE admissions, including inconsistency in documentation processes and the pace of reimbursements. Previous legal rulings, including a 2024 Bombay High Court order, have reaffirmed that private schools cannot evade their RTE quota obligations even under conditional exemptions, reinforcing statutory intent to promote educational equity.
For students and families in Thane — where urban expansion continues unabated — the outcome of the inquiry could determine whether existing schools are held to uniform standards and whether future admissions remain transparent and inclusive. Parents contend that clarity in compliance and active enforcement are crucial to ensure that economically vulnerable children can secure seats in quality private institutions without procedural ambiguity.As the probe unfolds, authorities face the twin challenge of closing regulatory gaps while safeguarding uninterrupted access to education for affected students. Ensuring timely RTE recognition and proactive monitoring of private school compliance will be key to maintaining confidence in the system and advancing equitable schooling across Maharashtra’s urban districts.
