Maharashtra brings schools of 20 trusts under RTE quota after minority status put on hold

In a significant fallout of the controversy surrounding minority status approvals to several educational trusts in Maharashtra, the state government has directed schools run by 20 trusts—whose minority certificates have been kept in abeyance—to reserve 25% of their seats for children from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds under the Right to Education Act.

The move comes after approvals granted to 72 educational institutions run by these trusts were put on hold following a political and administrative storm that erupted in the aftermath of the death of former Minority Development minister Ajit Pawar.

Under the RTE law, private unaided schools must set aside 25% of seats for students from economically weaker and disadvantaged sections, with the state reimbursing their fees. Institutions run by minority trusts are ordinarily exempt from this requirement. However, with the minority status of these trusts suspended pending an inquiry, the exemption will not apply.

Acting on a list issued by the state’s Minority Development Department, the Directorate of Primary Education has instructed district-level authorities to identify schools operated by the 20 trusts and integrate them into the RTE admission system if they had earlier been excluded on the basis of minority status.

Director of Primary Education Sharad Gosavi said officials have been asked to verify and update the details of such institutions on the RTE admission portal.

“The list includes 20 trusts, each of which may run one or more schools. Local officers have been directed to identify these institutions and add them to the system where applicable,” Gosavi said.

Among the trusts whose minority certificates have been kept in abeyance are Shri Mata Kanyaka Seva Sanstha in Chandrapur; Sevadas Maharaj Shikshan Prasarak Mandal and Shrimati Laxmibai Raghogi Ingle Shikshan Prasarak Mandal in Yavatmal; several Podar trust institutions in Parel, Mumbai; Danish Welfare Society in Amravati; Azad Education and Multipurpose Sanstha in Buldhana; and Gurukul Pisa Foundation in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, along with education societies in Thane, Gondia, Nagpur and Kolhapur.

Of the 20 trusts, six are based in Mumbai district—the highest in the state—followed by four in Yavatmal and two in Thane. One trust each is located in Chandrapur, Amravati, Buldhana, Nagpur, Gondia, Kolhapur, Pune and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar.

Officials say the move could increase the number of seats available under the ongoing RTE admission process in the state.

“If any of the newly added schools fall within a one-kilometre radius of a child’s residence, parents will be able to apply there for admission,” Gosavi said, adding that parents should regularly check the RTE portal as the system continues to be updated. The current application window will remain open until March 10.

The exact number of additional seats under the RTE quota will become clear only after these schools are fully reflected on the admission portal, he added.

The development follows a controversy over the issuance of minority status certificates to several educational trusts within a short span around January 28—the day Ajit Pawar died—raising allegations of irregularities in the approval process.

In response to the uproar, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis ordered that the approvals be kept in abeyance pending review, while Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar directed a detailed inquiry into the matter.

The controversy also triggered administrative reshuffles. Milind Shenoy, Deputy Secretary in the Minority Development Department whose digital signature appears on the uploaded certificates, was transferred on administrative grounds. Later, department secretary Ruchesh Jaivanshi was also shifted, though the government did not formally link the move to the row.

The Minority Development Department, however, has defended the approvals. It told the Chief Secretary that most certificates appearing to have been issued between January 28 and January 30 were actually uploaded later after technical glitches in the MahaIT portal were resolved. According to the department, hearings and approvals for 19 of the 20 trusts had already been completed between December 24, 2025 and January 27, 2026—when Ajit Pawar was still in charge of the portfolio.

Meanwhile, the move has revived a long-running debate over RTE compliance among private schools. Associations representing private unaided institutions have repeatedly opposed mandatory RTE admissions, citing large delays in government reimbursements, which they claim have crossed ₹2,000 crore.

Education activists, however, argue that minority status has increasingly been used by some private institutions as a way to bypass RTE obligations, since minority-run schools are exempt from the 25% reservation mandate.

With the suspension of minority status for the 20 trusts, their schools will now temporarily fall within the RTE framework—potentially opening up hundreds of additional seats for disadvantaged students across Maharashtra.