January 24, 2020.
TED NewsDesk, New Delhi: The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has decided to entirely change its affiliation process to suit the guidelines laid down in the new National Education Policy (NEP). The new Policy has suggested these changes based on a recurrent demand for fundamental changes in the affiliation structure. These new changes will be implemented from March 1st, 2021. The old by-laws for affiliation had come to force in 1998.
The new structure will be entirely digitalised and supported on data analytics to minimise human interaction. According to the secretary of CBSE, Anurag Tripathi, “The board is restructuring the affiliation system and process as per recommendations of education reforms in the NEP. Although the CBSE affiliation system has been online since 2006, the restructured system will be completely digital and based on data analytics with least human intervention.”
He also said that with the reorganisation in the affiliation process, administrative work and governance will become easier and more efficient. He added, “The restructuring will help in establishing ease of doing business in the CBSE affiliation system, attaining the goal of minimum government, maximum governance, automated and data-driven decisions, achieve transparency, bring more accountability in the entire systemic processes and achieve quick and time-bound disposal of all applications.”
CBSE will soon introduce the new system, further added Tripathi, in an exhaustive communication. It will explain the entire procedure, the required documents for applying, the standard operating procedures (SOPs) for scrutiny and videos for related processes will also be released. CBSE has also presented a revised schedule for the application process. According to which schools can apply for affiliation three times during a year: March 1st to 31st, June 1st to 30th and September 1st to 30th.
In this regard, Tripathi commented, “Other applications such as those for an additional subject, section increase, change of name of the school, change of society or trust, will be accepted through the year.”
The main requirements for applying for affiliation are digital signatures of the school from a registered service-provider, no objection certificate, land certificate, safety certificate and certificate from the district education officer. Tripathi provided further information, “After the online submission of application, details submitted by the school will be analysed in accordance with the CBSE by-laws and inspection committee will be constituted immediately for the purpose of inspection. Schools will be able to get an inspection done on any of the dates mentioned in the letter.”
After the COVID-19 pandemic struck, CBSE launched a virtual survey of schools for upgradation in affiliation in August of 2020. It is also planning to establish a centre that would take up questions and problems of schools with regards to the virtual survey.
Making the states conduct infrastructural surveys of the schools applying for affiliation, CBSE changed its guidelines in 2018 focusing more on the academic competency of the schools.
CBSE is the largest school control body in the country and abroad, with more than 24,000 schools affiliated to it. It has more than 2 crore students and over 10 lakh teachers.
Source: The Hindu
