High Court of DelhiW.P.(C)/4010/2026

Central Public Academy Through Its Administrator v. Central Board Of Secondary Education

2026-04-07Hon'Ble Mr. Justice Jasmeet Singh12 pages

$~91 *

IN THE HIGH COURT OF DELHI AT NEW DELHI

+ W.P.(C) 4010/2026 CENTRAL PUBLIC ACADEMY THROUGH ITS ADMINISTRATOR .....Petitioner Through:

Mr. U.S Gautam,Mr. Shubham Shukla, Mr. Prabhanshu,Mr. Tarun Kumar, Mr.

Ishu Sharma, Ms. Anu Madhan, Advs.

versus CENTRAL BOARD OF SECONDARY EDUCATION .....Respondent Through:

Mr.

M.A.

Niyazi Adv.

Standing Counsel for CBSE With Ms. Anamika Ghai Niyazi Adv., Ms. Kirti Kumari Adv., Ms. Nehmat Sethi Adv., Mr. Adnan Ashfaq Naqash Adv.

CORAM:

HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE JASMEET SINGH

O R D E R

% 07.04.2026 CM APPL. 19623/2026 Exemptions granted, subject to all just exceptions. The application is disposed of.

W.P.(C) 4010/2026 1.

This is a writ petition filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India seeking the following prayers:- "a. Set aside or quash the impugned order dated 26.02.2026 passed by the CBSE At New Delhi Authorities; AND b. Issue a writ of mandamus or any other writ against the respondent restore affiliation of the petitioner school; The authenticity of the order can be re-verified from Delhi High Court Order Portal by scanning the QR code shown above.

c. Pass an order thereby directing the Respondent to reinspection of petitioner's school as per Rules/ Law, if required as petitioner's school had completed all the necessary compliance as required as of now under such terms and conditions as this Hon'ble court may deem fit, ..." 2.

The School Management Committee of Central Public Academy, Azamgarh, has filed the present writ petition challenging the CBSE's order dated 26.02.2026, whereby the school's provisional affiliation for the Senior Secondary level was withdrawn. The petitioner contends that the school has been compliant with CBSE norms since its establishment in 2015, and that the impugned action stems from a surprise inspection conducted on 24.09.2025 following an anonymous complaint.

Pursuant to the inspection, a show-cause notice dated 17.11.2025 was issued highlighting alleged deficiencies, to which the petitioner submitted a detailed reply on 15.12.2025, explaining that the discrepancies were minor, administrative, and already rectified.

Thereafter the impugned order dated 26.02.2026 was passed which did not appreciate the documents filed by the petitioner. 5.

The impugned order reads as under:- The authenticity of the order can be re-verified from Delhi High Court Order Portal by scanning the QR code shown above.

The authenticity of the order can be re-verified from Delhi High Court Order Portal by scanning the QR code shown above.

Mr. Gautam, learned counsel for the petitioner, has also relied on the judgment of this Court passed in Central Board Of Education v. Mount Columbus School, 2024 SCC OnLine Del 5285 and Khemo Devi Public School vs. Central Board of Secondary Education 2025 SCC OnLine Del 9133 to urge that no show cause notice was given and in similar situation the respondent was directed to carry out the inspection. 7.

A perusal of the impugned order reveals significant discrepancies in the student strength of the petitioner school. From Class Nursery to Class VII, the number of students ranges between 30 to 70 per class. However, from Class IX onwards, there is an abrupt and unexplained surge in enrolment, with the number of students rising manifold to 472, 425, 309, and 307 respectively.

During the course of inspection, the actual number of students present was found to be approximately one-tenth of the number reported by the school. At the time of inspection, only 19 teachers were found to be present. The list of teachers annexed as Annexure P-26 to the petition reflects a total strength of 84 teachers.

In the present case, no cogent explanation has been furnished by the petitioner for the disproportionate and sudden increase in student strength from Class IX onwards.

10.

In order to afford a fair opportunity to the petitioner, this Court, vide order dated 30.03.2026, directed the petitioner to produce salary records of the teaching staff, including proof of salary being credited into their respective bank accounts for the period from March 2025 to August 2025. 11.

In response, certain documents have been placed on record. However, the same indicate irregular withdrawals ranging between Rs. 2 to 4 lakhs The authenticity of the order can be re-verified from Delhi High Court Order Portal by scanning the QR code shown above.

during the period March 2025 to August 2025, without any corresponding evidence of salary credits into the bank accounts of the 84 teachers. This raises serious doubts regarding the genuineness of the claim of employment and payment of salaries.

12.

The judgments relied upon by the petitioner are clearly distinguishable. In the judgment of Mount Columbus School (supra) the principles of natural justice were found to have been violated, whereas in the present case, a show cause notice was duly issued and the petitioner was granted adequate opportunity to respond. Similarly, the judgment of the Khemo Devi (supra) is distinguishable on facts, as in that case, there existed documentary evidence substantiating the availability of adequate teaching staff and payment of salaries, which is conspicuously absent in the present matter.

13.

Furthermore, the details of only five teachers have been furnished, out of which four individuals do not find mention in the list of 84 teachers annexed with the petition, thereby further undermining the credibility of the petitioner's claims.

14.

For the said reasons, I am unable to entertain the petition. The documents filed are taken on record.

15.

The present petition is dismissed and the interim order stands vacated. JASMEET SINGH, J APRIL 7, 2026/AS (Corrected and released on 17.04.2026) The authenticity of the order can be re-verified from Delhi High Court Order Portal by scanning the QR code shown above.