The Delhi government has decided to grant recognition of private unaided schools in non-conforming areas. The initiative will ensure full compliance with Article 21A of the Constitution and the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 (RTE Act). Delhi education minister Ashish Sood said that this was a long-pending reform that restores the constitutional right to education for thousands of children across the city.

According to this decision, all private unaided schools that have been functioning in non-conforming areas for a long time but have not yet obtained recognition from the directorate of education, either due to procedural reasons or due to the discriminatory approach of previous governments, can now apply for recognition from the DoE.

The DoE’s online portal for submission of applications will open on November 1, 2025. All schools willing to seek recognition may apply till November 30, 2025. After the completion of the application process, the applications will be scrutinised, and a list of such schools that meet all the prescribed criteria for recognition will be issued.

The education minister said that for over a decade this issue remained buried in files while children were denied their constitutional right to education. Previous governments played favouritism, recognising a few while neglecting many. This is not just administrative reform; it is justice for our children, fairness for our institutions and a genuine step towards democratising education in Delhi.

“By turning a decade-old challenge into a people-first reform, the Delhi government has set a new standard in equitable education governance, a milestone that will be remembered as a defining chapter in the city’s education journey,” Sood said. He further said that the last recognition drive was conducted in 2013, benefiting only a few schools through selective approvals. For more than ten years, many schools in non-conforming areas operated without recognition due to bureaucratic apathy and policy paralysis of past regimes.

He said that with this decision, nearly 500 schools will now come under the ambit of the DoE, ensuring legitimacy, regulatory oversight, and accountability. Each year, the DoE receives nearly 2 lakh applications under EWS/DG/CWSN categories for around 40,000 seats, many of which remain vacant due to the shortage of recognised schools. The new policy is expected to generate about 20,000 additional seats, greatly expanding equitable access to quality education.