Himachal Pradesh restores affiliation of 292 schools; CBSE affiliation process for 100 govt schools underway

DHARAMSHALA: The affiliation granted by Himachal Pradesh School Education Board to 292 institutions was only temporarily suspended and has now been reinstated, Education Minister Rohit Thakur said in the state Assembly on Thursday, asserting the Board did not revoke the affiliation of any institution.

In a written reply, he said the affiliation was suspended due to non-completion of the required formalities, which have now been completed. He also informed the House that the process of seeking affiliation for about 100 government senior secondary schools in the state with the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has been initiated.

Thakur was responding to a question asked by BJP MLA Rakesh Jamwal. The state government will also develop schools affiliated with the Himachal Pradesh Board as centres of excellence, he said. Further, the education minister said that the state government is also establishing Rajiv Gandhi Day Boarding Schools.

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These will create a student-centred, quality-based system that will improve school education in the state through positive energy. This system will enable the Board to strive to become more competitive and better, the minister emphasised. The Himachal School Education Board will continue to function independently as before.

Furthermore, the presence of CBSE-affiliated schools in the government sector will also curb the arbitrariness of private schools, the minister said. The students studying in these schools will continue to receive free uniforms, books, and other facilities as before, Thakur informed the House.

The CBSE curriculum is based on the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), and the Himachal Pradesh Board of Education's curriculum is also based on this.