NCSC Issues Notice To Pune’s St. Joseph’s School Over Alleged Caste-Based Admission Denial

The National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) has issued a notice to St. Joseph’s Convent Girls High School in Pune's Khadki after a woman alleged that the school refused to take her daughter back to class even after she recovered from a serious medical condition. The Commission has asked the school and government authorities to submit a report within 30 days.

The complaint was filed by the woman, who belongs to the Scheduled Caste community and lives in Khadki Police Colony. Her 14-year-old daughter is a Class 8 student and has suffered from a heart condition since birth. The child has undergone two major heart surgeries and, according to the mother, she fell seriously ill again in August 2025.

Salve said her daughter began bleeding from her ears, nose and eyes, because of which she had to be taken to Budhrani, Sahyadri, Cortex and other hospitals. The illness kept her away from school for weeks. She stated that she repeatedly informed the school about her daughter’s condition through written and verbal messages.

During this period, the school had told the family that the child should not appear for the mid-term exams and that her health should be given priority. Later, school staff even visited their home in October to inquire about her condition and advised her to take rest. However, after her health improved, the mother claims the situation changed. When she went to the school requesting permission to send her daughter back, the principal allegedly refused to listen and asked her to either collect the School Leaving Certificate (SLC) or wait for it to be sent by post.

The mother said this shocked her because the child was eager to continue school and had even been declared fit to attend classes by doctors. Salve claims the school’s behaviour has caused mental stress to her daughter, who keeps asking when she can go back to school.

Meanwhile, the school authorities have denied the allegations and said they acted according to official guidelines. In their statement, they said the issue was related to long absence, not discrimination.

A school representative, on the condition of anonymity, said, “The child had been absent for almost three months, and as per rules laid by Zilla Parishad, we are permitted to cancel the admission in such cases. We discussed the matter with the local committee and informed the parent that they needed to complete the required formalities. We were ready to allow the child to return once communication was properly established. An appointment was given for discussion, but the parent did not come on the scheduled day.”

The NCSC has taken the matter seriously after receiving the written complaint from the mother. Notices have been sent to the Divisional Commissioner, Pune, the Assistant Commissioner of the Social Welfare Department, and the Principal of St. Joseph’s Convent Girls' High School.

The Commission has asked all parties to submit detailed information and action taken reports within 30 days. It has also warned that if no reply is received, it may use its civil court powers to issue a summons.