Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Municipal Corporation's School Closures Criticized by Activists

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Activists have condemned the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Municipal Corporation (CSMC) for shutting down around 20 schools in a rampant manner over the past two years, citing low enrolment.They warned that the closures could force many affected students into permanent dropout situations."Although civic officials have transferred these students to other CSMC-run schools, many of the new schools are located far from their homes. Most parents of these children are too poor to afford private schooling," educational activist Manish Narawade said on Tuesday.According to the activists, the number of civic-run schools has dropped from 82 to just 50, with closures primarily affecting Marathi- and Urdu-medium institutions.IPL Auction 2026IPL Auction 2026: Full list of sold and unsold players for all teamsIPL 2026 team and squad List: Updated players for all 10 Teams; who got whom"On one hand, the civic administration is promoting its newly launched CBSE schools, on the other, it is shutting down Marathi- and Urdu-medium schools. Neither the civic administration nor the teachers seem interested in saving these schools," Narawade said.Another activist, Mohsin Ahmed, alleged that the vacant school buildings were being leased to private parties, some of whom have defaulted on rent payments."The civic administration should consider reopening at least some of these schools (those shut down over the past two years) to ensure children from underprivileged backgrounds do not lose their right to education," he said.When approached, a senior official from the civic body's education department said the school closures were in line with govt policy. "Schools with less than 20 enrolled students are expected to be closed down as per official guidelines. We are making sure all affected students are shifted to nearby schools to ensure that they don't suffer any setback academically," the official said, requesting anonymity.Another official confirmed that there was no plan to reopen the closed-down schools for now.Get an chance to win ₹5000 Amazon Voucher by taking part in India's Biggest Habit Index! Take the survey here