Bengal: Schools fined Rs 5K for lapses in Madhyamik
Kolkata: The West Bengal Board of Secondary Education (WBBSE) has ordered schools to pay a penalty of Rs 5,000 per student by Monday for failing to complete registration or rectify data within the deadline, to ensure affected candidates can appear for the 2026 Madhyamik examination.
Fifty of the sixty schools summoned on Friday attended the hearing.
Officials said several institutions had between five and forty-three pending registrations, while at least twenty-five had tried to register students from previous batches without completing required steps on time.
The Board said the fine was fixed in line with a Calcutta High Court (HC) order issued last year in similar circumstances, and that explanations offered by school heads did not hold.
A senior official said schools had been given repeated opportunities to correct errors without charge.
Most institutions completed the process by September, but a section failed to register even current Class X students within the revised window.
He said ensuring students’ smooth appearance in the examination was non-negotiable and that the penalty was intended to prevent further lapses.
Several school heads contended the situation differed from last year, when the HC imposed the fine at the last moment while allowing admit cards to be issued.
Some cited staff shortages and oversight, saying they had planned to submit documents earlier but missed the dates.
Many schools are now facing financial strain and are informally advising students to approach the Chief Minister’s grievance cell. The Board has given no indication that the penalty will be reviewed.
In a separate order, the Board said admissions completed before the School Education Department’s November 26 memorandum on the admission process stand cancelled. The department has confirmed that guidelines issued for the 2025 session will remain in place for 2026.
WBBSE said all admissions taken before the memo for classes VI and above will be treated as invalid, and violations detected later will invite action under existing rules.
