
The CBSE and the Delhi government have been instructed to take immediate action against 'dummy' schools that unlawfully permit students to appear for Board exams without attending regular classes. This was stated in a report by the India Today.
On January 27, 2025, the Delhi High Court directed the CBSE to address this issue.
A bench led by Chief Justice DK Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela referred to such practices as a 'fraud' and emphasised that schools permitting students, who are attending coaching classes instead of regular school, to take Board exams based on “absolutely false information” should not be allowed.
The bench further stated, "It has come to our attention that some students do not attend classes in schools and instead spend their time in coaching centres. However, they are still permitted to take exams by the education boards, which require students to meet minimum attendance criteria. We therefore direct both the state government and CBSE to conduct inspections on this matter," the court ordered.
The bench also took note of schools being used to extend the benefits of Delhi domicile to students from other states and asked for an affidavit from both the Delhi government and CBSE outlining appropriate actions against these schools.
This decision came following a Public Interest Litigation (PIL). During the hearing, the Delhi government counsel claimed that there was no concept of 'dummy' schools and that the issue of 'fake admissions' was being "exaggerated" and "mischaracterised."
In its submission, CBSE informed the court that action had already been taken against over 300 'dummy' schools across the country.
The court responded by stating, "Authorities may call these schools whatever they wish, but the question remains: what actions has the state education department taken against these alleged fake admissions?"
Actions taken by authorities:
The Delhi government counsel provided an update on the actions initiated in two instances.
The court instructed both the Delhi government and CBSE to file an additional affidavit providing details of actions taken against 'dummy schools' when information is received.
The court also directed the education department to carry out a survey, and if necessary, conduct surprise inspections to gather the required information, which must be shared with CBSE.
Similarly, CBSE is expected to collect data and share it with the Delhi government. Upon receiving this information, the relevant legal actions will be taken against the management of these schools.
In response to the court's remarks, the Delhi government counsel referred to a web series highlighting the use of such schools by coaching centres in Kota, Rajasthan, but the court remarked, "Your department doesn’t seem to have seen it."
The PIL was filed by Rajeev Aggarwal, who challenged the eligibility criteria used by Delhi University and Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University for granting MBBS or BDS seats under the Delhi State Quota (DSQ).
Aggarwal alleged that 'dummy' schools provided a "virtual platform" for students to falsely claim they had moved to Delhi after passing their Class X exams, solely to take advantage of the Delhi quota for seats that should be allocated to bonafide residents of Delhi.
The court will continue the hearing on this matter on the next scheduled date in May.