CIC orders surprise checks on CBSE schools over fake admissions

The Central Information Commission has ordered surprise inspections of schools linked to the CBSE after a complaint alleged that some institutions were issuing bogus certificates to students who never attended class. Information Commissioner Sudha Rani Relangi made the recommendation, invoking the RTI law's power to conduct unannounced checks to verify compliance with affiliation rules. The grievance was filed by an RTI applicant from Bhopal who sought details on attendance rules in private missionary schools and claimed that dummy admissions allowed students to receive exam results without going to school. CBSE’s public information officer initially rejected the request, saying the Indian Postal Order attached as fee was invalid, and asked for a correct payment payable to the board’s secretary. The commission warned that refusing information on a technicality defeats the purpose of the RTI Act and asked the officer to provide a point‑by‑point reply. The officer apologized and CBSE later sent a detailed response, citing its 2018 Affiliation Bye‑Laws which bar any school from presenting candidates for board exams unless they have regular attendance and meet the minimum attendance threshold. The board’s reply was entered into the official record during the hearing.

Context

Surprise inspections are a tool used by regulators to deter schools from flouting rules, especially when evidence suggests systematic misuse of enrollment records.