Mumbai, April 5 -- The Maharashtra school education department has declared 324 secondary schools and 412 junior college divisions "permanently ineligible" for government salary grants after they failed to meet the eligibility criteria "despite being given multiple opportunities and extensions" over the years. The decision is expected to have a major impact on the affected schools and their staff, especially in urban areas, with industry experts raising concerns about the future of the institutions and their students. According to a Government Resolution (GR) issued on April 2, the concerned schools were operating on a permanently non-aided basis. They were expected to qualify for grants by meeting conditions such as maintaining proper staff rosters, appointing qualified teachers, and fulfilling other academic and administrative norms. The state government had been reviewing such schools in phases since 2011 to provide grants to eligible institutions. However, "a significant number of schools could not qualify during the continuous evaluation process," which led the government to declare them permanently ineligible for the grants. The affected institutions include schools running classes from grades 8 to 10, and in some cases from grades 5 to 10 or 9 to 10, the GR said. Most of the affected schools are located in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, including Mumbai, Thane, Palghar, and Raigad. The Thane district has the highest number (68), followed by Mumbai (54), Palghar (46), Pune (26), Raigad (21), and Nashik (19). Other districts, such as Jalgaon, Nandurbar, Solapur, and Dhule, also have a notable number of affected schools. The state government has also warned these schools that their licences will be cancelled if they fail to apply for recognition. "The concerned schools must apply for recognition under the self-financed category by April 30, 2026, failing which their recognition will be cancelled," the GR stated. To avoid academic disruption, education officers have been directed to plan the transfer of students from these schools to nearby aided or government schools between May 1 and May 31, it added. Criticising the move, Mahendra Ganpule, former vice president of the state principals' association, said, "These schools have approval to run, but they could not meet the criteria for grants. Now, the government is asking them to take approval under self-finance. This creates a situation of dual approval for schools."...