Mumbai: The Maharashtra government has issued a directive requiring all minority educational institutions that obtained their minority status before July 2017 to revalidate their certification through a digital process. According to a government resolution (GR) released on Thursday, these institutions must apply for digitally signed minority status certificates via the ‘Aaple Sarkar’ online portal within six months.
The move is aimed at increasing transparency in the recognition process and preventing the misuse of benefits associated with minority status. The GR highlights that numerous complaints have been received regarding institutions continuing to claim government benefits despite lacking updated records.
“Complaints have been received regarding the misuse of these provisions, and the government has no available records of minority status granted through offline procedures. In light of this, it has become necessary to impose restrictions to prevent such misuse,” stated the resolution.
The GR further explained that under Article 30(1) of the Indian Constitution, educational institutions established and administered by religious or linguistic minorities are granted minority status. However, before July 2017, many institutions were awarded this status through various government departments, including the Minority Development Department, School Education and Sports Department, and Higher and Technical Education Department.
To streamline the process and maintain accurate records, the government has now mandated that all such institutions apply for a fresh, digitally signed certificate. “All educational institutions that received minority status before July 2017 must submit a new application through the ‘Aaple Sarkar’ portal and obtain a digitally signed minority status certificate within six months from the date of this resolution,” it stated.
One of the key reasons for this decision is to prevent institutions from unfairly availing benefits under the minority status provision. The GR noted that certain institutions have misused their minority certification even after significant changes in ownership or management.
“Institutions that have newly started operations or have undergone ownership transfers have been found to be claiming minority status despite lacking valid certification,” the GR stated.
Officials from the Minority Development Department explained that the digital certification process will help in tracking institutions and ensuring that only eligible entities receive government benefits. They added that minority institutions failing to comply with the new requirement within the stipulated period may face administrative consequences.
The digital certification process will involve online submission of necessary documents, verification by government authorities, and issuance of an electronically signed minority certificate.
The GR further clarified that educational institutions without valid digital certification will not be recognised for government benefits in the future. “Institutions must ensure timely compliance, as failure to obtain a digitally signed certificate may lead to administrative action,” it warns.
