Mumbai, July 2, 2026: The Maharashtra government has announced strict action against private schools, including those affiliated with the CBSE and ICSE boards, that compel students to purchase textbooks, uniforms and other educational materials exclusively from designated shops.
Minister of State for School Education Dr Pankaj Bhoyar made the announcement in the Legislative Council while responding to a question raised by MLC Sudhakar Adbale regarding complaints that several schools across the state were forcing parents to buy school supplies from specific vendors.
Government To Tighten Monitoring
During the discussion, other members also highlighted the issue and urged the government to curb the practice, which they said places an unnecessary financial burden on parents and limits their freedom to choose where to purchase educational materials.
Replying to the debate, Dr Bhoyar said the government strongly opposes such coercive practices and noted that action had already been taken against some schools in the past for violating the norms. He said the School Education Department would further tighten monitoring to ensure compliance with government guidelines.
Nodal Officers To Oversee Compliance
As part of the new enforcement mechanism, nodal officers will be appointed under the supervision of Assistant Directors in every Divisional Deputy Director's office.
These officers will closely monitor the procurement practices followed by schools and initiate immediate action against institutions found forcing parents to buy books, uniforms or other educational materials from particular shops.
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Dr Bhoyar also directed officials to prepare a separate list of schools against which complaints have been received from public representatives. Based on these complaints, inspections will be carried out and appropriate penal action will be taken wherever violations are established.
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