In a severe and unprecedented action, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has permanently withdrawn the affiliation of Jaipur's Neerja Modi School. This drastic step follows the tragic death of a 9-year-old student and an inquiry that revealed shocking lapses in student safety and grievance redressal mechanisms.
A Tragedy That Exposed Systemic Failures
The incident that triggered this action occurred on November 1, 2025. A Class 4 student allegedly died by suicide, jumping from the fourth floor of the school building. A subsequent CBSE probe uncovered a harrowing pattern of neglect. The inquiry panel found that the girl had been subjected to relentless bullying, and her parents had first raised complaints with teachers as early as July 2024.
The report details a particularly distressing final day. The girl attended school cheerfully but became visibly disturbed after 11 am following an incident involving a digital slate. CCTV footage showed some boys writing or displaying something that embarrassed her. The girl was seen repeatedly asking them to stop and erase the content. Most critically, the footage revealed her approaching her class teacher for help five times in the last 45 minutes before her death, with her distress going unaddressed.
CBSE's Scathing Observations and Immediate Action
The CBSE, considering the probe report and the school's response, concluded that the institution committed "gross violation" of mandatory Affiliation Bye-Laws. A senior board official stated that there was a "complete failure of counselling mechanism and redressal system" within the school.
"Such negligent actions and violations are unacceptable for an affiliated school," the official emphasized. "A school is expected to be a safe haven for students... These violations strike at the very foundation of the affiliation and warrant strict and immediate action." The board declared the school liable for the "severest" penalty, stating students cannot continue in such an unsafe environment.
The affiliation, granted up to the Senior Secondary level, was withdrawn with immediate effect on Tuesday, December 31, 2025.
Consequences for the School and Its Students
The CBSE order outlines a structured transition for current students and a long road to potential recovery for the school:
- Students in Classes 10 and 12 can appear for their 2025-26 board exams from the same school.
- Students currently in Classes 9 and 11 must be shifted to nearby schools for the 2026-27 session, facilitated by the CBSE Regional Officer.
- The school is barred from taking any new admissions or promoting lower-class students into Classes 9 and 11.
The possibility of restoration is distant. The school can seek affiliation reinstatement up to the secondary level only after one academic year lapses, from the 2027-28 session, and only after complying with all safety norms. Restoration to the senior secondary level would require at least two more years after that.
A Pattern of Ignored Complaints
The inquiry panel's findings paint a picture of systemic apathy. The parents had reported the bullying to teachers and coordinators more than three times over 1.5 years, yet the school's anti-bullying committee never contacted them or intervened. In a telling instance during a September 2025 PTM, the girl's father witnessed a boy bullying her and complained. The class teacher's alleged advice was that the child "should adjust."
The CBSE had issued a show-cause notice last month, noting that all communications from the parents to the teacher and management "went unheard." The board accused the school of having no functional grievance redressal mechanism. A two-member CBSE committee visited the school the day after the incident and spoke to the grieving parents, corroborating the sequence of neglect.
This decisive action by the CBSE serves as a stern warning to all affiliated institutions about the non-negotiable priority of student safety and psychological well-being.
