The Maharashtra government has put on hold the minority status approvals granted to 75 educational institutions after questions were raised about the timing of the clearances.
The decision was taken by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday, February 16, after it was found that the certificates were issued immediately following the death of former Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on January 28.
The Minority Development Department, which was earlier under Ajit Pawar, had not granted minority status to any institution for over 3 months. However, records show that between January 28 and February 2, a total of 75 institutions were approved.
The first certificate was issued at 3:09 pm on January 28, the same day Ajit Pawar died in an accident. Seven institutions were cleared that day. Over the next three days, the number rose sharply to 75.
This led to questions about how the files were processed and at what level the decisions were taken. Reports indicate that several certificates were issued outside normal working hours.
In some cases, multiple schools from the same educational group were granted minority status on the same day. Among the institutions approved during the disputed period were 25 schools run by Podar International School. All of them were granted minority status on January 29. The list also includes schools managed by Swami Shanti Prakash institutions, Devprakash institutions, and St. Xavier’s institutions.
Chief Minister Fadnavis has ordered that all permissions, certificates, and approvals issued during this period be kept in abeyance. A detailed investigation has been directed to examine whether due process was followed.
The suspension refers to a letter issued on October 12, 2025, by Ajit Pawar when he was the minister for minority development. The letter had stopped the minority status application process. It directed the department to carry out a detailed verification of all institutions seeking minority status. It clearly stated that no new approvals should be granted until the review was completed.
The decision was taken after reports that some institutions were misusing minority status to bypass the 25% reservation for economically weaker students under the Right to Education Act.
After Ajit Pawar’s death, the Minority Development portfolio was taken over by Sunetra Pawar, who was recently sworn in as Deputy Chief Minister. In a separate order, she instructed officials to conduct a thorough investigation into the alleged irregular issuance of minority certificates.
Sunetra Pawar chaired a review meeting of the Minority Development Department at the Sahyadri State Guest House. During the meeting, she directed officers to examine cases where schools may have been wrongly granted minority status.
For minority status, the school must show that its founders or a majority of its trustees belong to the minority. The documents should state that the institution was set up for the benefit of that minority. Minority status gives institutions several legal and administrative advantages.
They are exempt from the 25% quota under the RTE Act for students from disadvantaged groups. They also have greater freedom in admissions. Courts have allowed relaxed norms in teacher recruitment for such institutions. They are protected from government interference in internal matters. Minority institutions are also eligible for government grants for infrastructure, laboratories, hostels, and other facilities.