CBSE amends affiliation norms: Sections to be permitted based on school's built up area

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has amended its affiliation bye-laws to mandate that the maximum number of sections in a school will be permitted based on the total built-up carpet area of the school building, according to officials.

The board has also decided that schools shall be allowed an equal number of sections at the secondary level and at the senior secondary level.

"The board has been receiving feedback from the schools and stakeholders that there are areas where there is an acute shortage of land availability, due to which, at times, the schools face functional difficulties in increasing additional sections beyond the permissible limit, even when there is a demand for new admissions.

"The schools also find it difficult to meet the section student ratio of 1:40 with pressure for new admissions, but are unable to add additional sections due to the limit of permissible sections as per land criteria," said CBSE Secretary Himanshu Gupta.

Gupta said that the board has now decided that the maximum number of sections in a school will be permitted based on the total built-up carpet area of the school building.

"The built-up carpet area of the school building has to be certified by the local body or a licensed architect, or as the case may be. The land area shall be utilised only for the purpose of deciding the category of the schools--Branch School, Middle Level School, Secondary Level and Senior Secondary Level as per affiliation bye-laws," he said.

"The school shall be allowed an equal number of sections at secondary level and at senior secondary level. The total number of sections permitted at secondary level -- class 9 and 10 and at senior secondary level--class 11 and 12, shall be restricted at each level to one-fourth of the total number of sections running in the school from Balvatika to class 10 and 12," he said.