CBSE plans to ease norms for private school affiliation

New Delhi: The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) is readying to relax norms for setting up of private schools affiliated with it, replacing the existing 'restrictive' regime, ET has learnt.

ET has gathered that draft amendments to the affiliation bye-laws have been drawn up to permit a 'body corporate' to operate schools/educational institutions within a state's jurisdiction, provided the state permits it.

A 'body corporate', as defined in Section 2(11) of the Companies Act, 2013, is a corporate entity with a legal existence. The term includes private companies, public companies, One Person Companies (OPCs), small companies, Limited Liability Partnerships (LLPs), foreign companies, among others. The new norm is likely to allow individual companies, and not just trusts or registered societies, to open CBSE schools.


In contrast, the existing CBSE rulebook provides that a regular private company cannot own or run a CBSE school, consistent with the much-debated 'not-for-profit' approach to education.

As per CBSE's affiliation bye-laws, private schools can currently be opened only through three routes- one, by a society registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860, or relevant state laws as an educational, charitable or religious society with a non-proprietary character; two by a registered trust; and three, a separate entity incorporated under Section 8 of the Companies Act, 2013, with education as one of its objects.

These routes, however, are often seen as outdated and rigid by the private sector, even as it continues to invest in education through different models.

The proposed changes to the affiliation bye-laws are aimed at ensuring that the CBSE regulatory architecture is more facilitative of opening quality schools and encouraging greater private sector participation, sources said.

With strong demand for CBSE schools across the country, the Centre has also nudged the Board to introduce a series of changes to its affiliation norms. Over the last few months, several reforms have been undertaken to align with the recommendations of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, as well as the Centre's broader deregulation push.

For instance, starting with the 2026-27 academic session, the mandatory 'No Objection Certificate' (NOC) requirement from states has been withdrawn-a major policy shift expected to cut procedural timelines, red tape and corruption in the affiliation system.

Under the new rules, once a school applies for CBSE affiliation on the SARAS portal, the Board will contact the concerned state education department and seek its objections, if any, within 30 days, failing which the NOC will be deemed to have been granted. Further, in January this year, CBSE revised its land norms to bring them in sync with urban land constraints and rising land costs. Under the revised rules, a uniform minimum of 6,000 sq m (about 1.5 acres) is required for a senior secondary school in non-urban areas. In urban and hilly regions, the requirement has been reduced to 1,600 sq m for secondary schools and 2,400 sq m for senior secondary schools, from the earlier 3,200-4,000-plus sq m.

Additionally, the playground requirement has also been revised. While the older rulebook required a minimum 2,000-sq-m playground within the school campus, the new norms allow an off-campus playground. Schools can sign a 15-year or longer lease with a public park, stadium or college sports arena within 200 metres of the campus to provide sporting facilities for students.

Similarly, pathways have been created for established CBSE schools to open branches or extensions within the same municipal limits. The Board has also introduced a virtual inspection and self-reporting regime through the School Quality Assessment and Assurance Framework (SQAAF).