Bhiwandi, April 10: The number of unauthorized schools operating within the Bhiwandi Nizampur Municipal Corporation (BNMC) limits has risen this year, triggering serious concerns over regulatory enforcement and student safety. According to the civic education department, a total of 21 illegal schools have been identified—an increase from 18 reported last year.
The list released on April 7 by the administrative officer of the BNMC education department reveals that the majority of these institutions are English-medium schools (15), followed by five Urdu-medium schools and one Marathi-medium school.
Authorities have once again urged parents not to enrol their children in unrecognized institutions, warning that these schools fail to meet mandatory educational norms and safety standards.
Despite repeated warnings and strict penalties, including a fine of Rs 1 lakh and an additional Rs 10,000 per day for continued violations, many of these institutions continue to function without authorization.
Officials had earlier directed all schools to strictly comply with education department regulations, but enforcement at the ground level appears ineffective.
Enforcement gap raises concerns
Significantly, during the previous academic session, Municipal Commissioner Anmol Sagar had ordered the initiation of criminal proceedings against operators of illegal schools.
However, the education department has not registered a single case so far, highlighting a clear gap between policy announcements and actual implementation.
List of identified unauthorized schools
The schools listed include: Royal English School (Patel Compound), Nobel English School (Avachitpada), Al Raza Urdu Primary School (Gabinagar), Marathi Primary School (Pipeline, Temghar), English Primary & Secondary School (Pipeline, Temghar), The Learning Primary School (Temghar Pada), Ekta English Public School and Ekta Urdu Public School (Fatima Nagar), A.R. Rahman Urdu Primary School (Fatima Nagar), Javeriya Urdu Primary School (Gabinagar), Vivekanand English Secondary School (Navi Basti), Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam English Primary School (Ravji Nagar), Al Hidaya Public Primary School (Patel Nagar), Tahzeeb English Primary School (Zaitoon Pura), Iqra Islamic Maktab School (Nadi Naka), Qaiser Begum English School (Nagaon), Farhan English Primary School (Diwanshah Dargah Road), Geetanjali Secondary School (Gayatri Nagar), AB English Primary School, Vidya Niketan English School (Bhandari Compound), and Saraswati English School (Navi Basti).
“Action needed, not just lists,” say activists
Reacting strongly to the development, Abdul Gani Khan, President of the Minority Wing of the People’s Republican Party, criticized the civic administration for its continued inaction.
He pointed out that only three of last year’s 18 illegal schools were shut down, while the total number has now increased further.
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Khan, who has been actively protesting for over a year demanding strict action, stated that merely issuing lists is not enough. The administration must take concrete steps to shut down these schools and safeguard students' future, he said.
The situation has once again raised pressing questions about accountability and the effectiveness of civic enforcement mechanisms in Bhiwandi.
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