CBSE withdraws Jaipur school affiliation after Class 4 student’s death

The Central Board of Secondary Education has withdrawn the affiliation of a private school in Jaipur following the death of a 9-year-old student, citing serious and repeated violations of mandatory child safety norms.

In an eight-page order dated Dec 30, CBSE said its inquiry into the Nov 1 suicide of a Class 4 student at Neerja Modi School revealed systemic failures and a complete breakdown of safety mechanisms. The board concluded that the school was “not fit for continuation of affiliation.”

CBSE said the case reflected negligence, lack of accountability, and non-compliance with affiliation by laws, adding that the incident could have been prevented.

According to the order, a two-member fact-finding committee conducted surprise inspections, reviewed CCTV footage, examined school records, and interacted with staff and parents.

The investigation found multiple lapses, including the absence of safety grills or steel nets in open areas on upper floors, ineffective CCTV surveillance and failure to preserve footage, and lack of staff monitoring corridors and staircases.

The board also flagged the absence of a functional counseling system and anti-bullying mechanism, noting that repeated complaints by parents were ignored.

Teachers, staff, and students were found without identity cards, and there was no floor-level supervision, allowing the child to move to the fourth floor unnoticed.

CBSE said the most serious violation was the immediate cleaning of the bloodstained area at the site of the fall.

“The removal of vital material evidence within minutes of the incident demonstrates a serious breach of legal and procedural obligations,” the order stated.

Rejecting the school’s claim that the child was happy and academically active, the board said such assertions did not address the core issue of safety compliance.

“It is evident that despite repeated approaches by the parents, the school confined its response to discussions during Parent Teacher Meetings, without initiating any structured or proactive intervention,” CBSE said.

The board added that the lack of documented counseling, referrals, or remedial steps showed a complete failure of the safeguarding framework required under CBSE affiliation rules.

Neerja Modi School argued that it had complied with building and fire safety norms and had constituted mandatory committees.

CBSE dismissed the defense, saying, “Mere possession of structural or fire safety certificates cannot substitute mandatory child safety measures required under the Affiliation By Laws.”

It also noted that the committees existed only on paper, with no evidence of meetings or action.

Calling the incident “completely preventable,” CBSE said the failure to monitor the child after she left for the washroom amounted to a serious lapse in duty of care.

“The only answer to the fundamental question is that this incident would have been completely preventable had the required provisions been followed,” the board said.

As part of its final directions, CBSE withdrew the school’s affiliation up to the senior secondary level with immediate effect.

Class 10 and 12 students will be allowed to appear for board examinations from the same school in the 2025–26 academic session, while students of Classes 9 and 11 must be shifted to nearby CBSE schools by March 31, 2026.

The school has been barred from new admissions or promotions to Classes 9 and 11.

CBSE said the school may apply for restoration of affiliation up to the secondary level only after one academic year, starting 2027-28, subject to full compliance.

Senior secondary affiliation can be sought only after two additional academic years. The future of Classes 1 to 8 will be decided by the Rajasthan State Education Department.