Arunachal puts new private school registrations on hold, cites regulatory gaps

Arunachal Pradesh Education Minister Passang Dorjee Sona has said the state government has stopped approving new private schools and has not entertained proposals for private universities, citing concerns over regulatory gaps and compliance.

Speaking at the first foundation day-cum-scholars’ meet of the Rajiv Gandhi University Research Scholars’ Forum (RGURSF) near Itanagar on Monday, Sona said he had adopted a policy of withholding recognition for new private schools until a revised regulatory framework is put in place.

According to the minister, several applications for new private schools had reached his office since he assumed charge, but none had been approved. He said the decision was prompted by the need to establish clear and effective standards governing the functioning of private educational institutions.

Sona said private schools remain an important component of the state’s education system, but their expansion should be accompanied by adequate standards relating to academic quality, student safety, institutional accountability and regulatory compliance.

He also pointed to shortcomings in the existing monitoring mechanism, alleging that some schools had not fully complied with prescribed requirements. The minister said the inspection process and existing checklists contained gaps that needed to be addressed through a more comprehensive framework.

The state government has now prepared revised guidelines for the registration of new private schools, Sona said. Applications for renewal of existing institutions will also be considered under the new regulatory framework once it is implemented.

The minister said the objective was not simply to increase the number of educational institutions but to ensure that schools operating in the state meet prescribed standards and provide students with a safe and accountable learning environment.

On private universities, Sona said he had asked the concerned regulatory commission to undertake a confidential assessment of private universities operating in Arunachal Pradesh. The exercise, he said, would examine whether the institutions were functioning in accordance with the respective Acts under which they were established.

The government is also working on a common legislation, or “mother Act”, aimed at bringing private universities under a uniform regulatory framework, the minister said.

The proposed measures indicate a broader effort by the state government to strengthen oversight of private educational institutions and establish common standards for their registration, functioning and accountability.