Arunachal Pradesh Blocks New Private Schools Over Regulatory Concerns

Itanagar: Arunachal Pradesh has slammed the brakes on new private schools. Education Minister Passang Dorjee Sona confirmed on Monday that he has not cleared a single new private school or university since taking office. The minister announced a blanket ban on new registrations during the first foundation day-cum-scholars' meet of the Rajiv Gandhi University Research Scholars' Forum near Itanagar.

Sona said the state's current regulatory system is broken. He pointed to major loopholes in existing inspection checklists and warned that many schools currently operate without following mandatory rules. The government is now drafting a fresh set of guidelines to replace the weak framework. Every existing school must meet these new standards before any renewal applications proceed.

The minister emphasized that expansion cannot happen at the expense of student safety or academic quality. "Our focus is not merely on increasing the number of institutions, but on ensuring that every school provides a safe, accountable and quality learning environment for our children," Sona said. He wants to ensure schools serve the public interest, not just their own growth.

Private universities face similar scrutiny. Sona ordered the regulatory commission to conduct a confidential assessment of every private university in the state. Officials will check if these institutions follow their original founding Acts. The government is also drafting a common mother Act to force every private university under one uniform regulatory umbrella.