Maharashtra Plans Stricter Rules For Granting Minority Status To Educational Institutions

Educational institutions seeking minority status in Maharashtra could soon face a more rigorous approval process, with a government-appointed panel recommending greater oversight, multi-department scrutiny and periodic reviews even after institutions receive minority status, an Indian Express Report stated.

The recommendations, submitted by a high-level committee headed by Additional Chief Secretary B Venugopal Reddy, come in the wake of a controversy earlier this year over the grant of minority status certificates to educational trusts. The state government has now constituted another committee to draft a revised Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), which officials say is likely to be finalised by the end of August.

What Changes Has The Committee Recommended?

According to the report, the Reddy committee has flagged gaps in the existing approval process, noting that applications are currently processed by a dedicated desk in the Minority Affairs Department, typically headed by a non-IAS officer, with limited oversight.

To strengthen the system, the panel has recommended that the entire approval process be supervised by a senior IAS officer, preferably the Minority Affairs Secretary. It has also proposed that applications be examined by an expert committee comprising representatives from multiple government departments instead of being processed solely within the Minority Affairs Department.

The report further stated that the committee has also suggested introducing a monitoring mechanism after institutions are granted minority status. At present, there is no system to review whether institutions continue to meet the conditions under which the status was granted.

It has recommended periodic inspections to ensure institutions remain eligible and that concessions and benefits available to minority institutions are being used in accordance with the law and reaching their intended beneficiaries.

Why Is Maharashtra Revising The Process?

The Reddy committee submitted its report to Chief Secretary Rajesh Aggarwal about a month ago. On July 15, the government set up an implementation committee headed by Minority Affairs Secretary Madhavi Khode Chaware to prepare a framework for the recommendations and draft a revised SOP, the report stated.

The implementation panel includes representatives from the Finance, General Administration, School Education, Higher and Technical Education, and Minority Affairs departments. Officials said it has already held two meetings and is in the final stages of preparing the new SOP.

A senior official told The Indian Express that the revised Standard Operating Procedure is expected to be announced by the end of August.

The review of the approval process follows a controversy that erupted in February over the grant of minority status certificates to educational trusts running schools and colleges. Questions were raised after certificates for 19 of 20 trusts were uploaded within a short period between late January and early February, leading to allegations of irregularities.

Following the controversy, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis ordered that the approvals be kept in abeyance pending a review, while Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar directed a detailed inquiry into the approval process.

The Minority Development Department, however, denied any irregularities. It told the Chief Secretary that the bulk upload of certificates was caused by technical issues with the MahaIT portal and that hearings and approvals for 19 of the 20 trusts had already been completed between December 24, 2025, and January 27, 2026, before the certificates were uploaded.

If implemented, the proposed SOP would significantly tighten oversight of how minority status is granted and monitored, while introducing greater accountability into a process that has come under increased public and political scrutiny.