Mumbai: The Maharashtra Self-Financed Schools (Establishment and Regulation) Amendment Bill 2026 will now permit national trusts to establish self-financed schools in Maharashtra, whereas earlier only state-registered bodies were allowed. Shutting down schools abruptly, without a minimum 18-month notice, will attract stricter penalties and the fines have been doubled to safeguard students from academic disruption, announced school education minister Dada Bhuse on Tuesday. The amendment bill was passed in the state assembly with a majority.According to the amendment, self-financed schools which are established or upgraded under this Act, and shut or discontinue without notice will be punished with a fine not less than Rs 10 lakh, which may extend to Rs 20 lakh. Earlier, the fine was Rs 5 lakh to Rs 10 lakh.Bhuse stated the law aims to improve regulation, expand access and ensure better infrastructure for students. During a debate on the Bill, he said that the changes were largely corrective and intended to update provisions that dated back to 2000, 2002 and 2012.He pointed out that provisions are also being introduced to enable schools, already running Classes 11 and 12, to seek permission to start lower classes from Class 1 to 10.Stressing student welfare, Bhuse said permission for expansion of classes would now be linked to the availability of essential infrastructure such as toilets, libraries, laboratories, and playgrounds in proportion to student strength. Speaking about teacher availability, Bhuse said recruitment through the “Pavitra Portal” has ensured transparency and quality, and assured the House vacant posts across districts would be filled. Retired teachers could be appointed temporarily where required, he said. Bhuse further noted the post of commissioner, created in 2014, did not exist when the earlier law had been framed, and is now being formally incorporated into the legislation.The minister also addressed concerns regarding school fees, saying education cannot be treated purely as a business and fee structures are regulated through parent-teacher committees under existing laws.Bhuse clarified while self-financed schools don’t have direct provisions for reservations, admissions under the Right to Education Act ensure 25% seats for economically weaker sections. He said govt is also working to strengthen public schools by improving facilities and quality of education.Opposing the bill, Congress MLA Nitin Raut said with no reservation in private institutions for SC and ST communities, it would lead to grave injustice. Denying reservations would go against the spirit of the Constitution, he said, and questioned how the govt could justify excluding backward classes from reservations merely because the schools are self-financed. (With agencies)

JAISALMER: The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has removed a controversial map from its Class 8 Social Science textbook that showed the princely state of Jaisalmer as part of the Maratha Empire.Taking into account the ongoing controversy and objections raised by various stakeholders, NCERT decided to remove the map for the academic session 2025–26. The updated digital edition of the textbook no longer includes the disputed Map 3.11.

The issue had sparked strong opposition from the former Jaisalmer royal family, Rajput organisations, and several leaders across Rajasthan. Former royal family member Maharawal Chaitanyaraj Singh had raised serious objections, calling the depiction historically misleading, factually incorrect, and a grave error. He had demanded immediate correction from Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.Following Jaisalmer, former royal families from Mewar and Bundi also objected to the depiction of their regions as part of the Maratha Empire. In August 2025, prominent figures, including Vishvaraj Singh Mewar, his wife and Rajsamand MP Mahima Kumari, and former Bundi royal Bhupesh Singh Hada, formally raised the issue and submitted representations to the central government, seeking removal of the incorrect map.Critics argued that there is no historical evidence in official records, archival documents or authentic sources to suggest any Maratha dominance, taxation, invasion or interference in Jaisalmer. On the contrary, historical accounts state that the Marathas never had any control or influence over the region.Responding to the widespread concerns, NCERT removed the map from the revised edition. The latest digital version of the textbook reflects this correction and omits the controversial content.Confirming the development, Maharawal Chaitanyaraj Singh said that objections were initially raised on social media and later formally communicated to NCERT. He welcomed the move, stating that academic institutions are expected to provide accurate and authentic knowledge to students.Devendra Pratap Singh, Director of the Jaisalmer Fort Palace Museum, also termed the move a positive step. However, he added that NCERT should issue an apology, as the earlier depiction had hurt the sentiments of many people.Following the removal of the map, there is a sense of satisfaction among residents of Jaisalmer. Historians and locals emphasised that the region has a rich and glorious history, with events such as the “Dhai Saka” serving as testimony. They said questioning such a legacy without solid historical evidence is unacceptable and welcomed NCERT’s decision as a corrective step.

Mumbai: Even as the BMC pushes ahead with its ambitious Rs 12,000-crore plan to turn the city pothole-free, it is already lining up the next phase of road concretisation.Civic sources said the next phase of works is approximately pegged at an additional Rs 2,500 crore, triggering sharp political pushback over timing and execution.Officials said estimates for the new phase are still being worked out, but the expansion comes at a time when parts of the ongoing works are still incomplete. The mega project, initiated under directions from former chief minister and existing deputy CM Eknath Shinde, aims to replace Mumbai’s entire 2,050-km road network of asphalt and paver blocks with durable concrete surfaces. “We have been asked to work on preparing the estimates; however, none of these works will begin so soon as we are still in the process of identifying the roads that need to be concretised,” said a civic official.So far, the project has been rolled out in two phases. Phase I saw 698 roads (324km) being taken up in Jan 2023, while Phase II proposes 1,420 roads spanning 377km. Civic officials maintain all works are on track for completion before next monsoon.On the ground, however, the picture is more complicated. Opposition leaders argue that the rush to expand the project is premature and risks compounding existing coordination failures. Samajwadi Party MLA Rais Shaikh flagged repeated instances of freshly concretised roads being dug up within days. “Inter-departmental clearances are not being properly coordinated. Roads are being concretised and then reopened for other works almost immediately,” he said, pointing to a recent case where a part of St Andrew’s Road outside Bandra Gymkhana in Bandra West was dug up once again, much to the dismay of local residents. This road was recently concretised and a portion was dug up again for upgradation of the Chimbai pumping station, involving micro-tunnelling, and the dug-up section is meant for the construction of a chamber.Over 1,333km of roads have been concretised so far, including major arteries such as Aarey Road, Andheri-Kurla Link Road, Narayan Dabholkar Marg, and stretches connecting Navy Nagar to Shahid Bhagat Singh Marg.The project has also run into controversy over alleged irregularities in upcoming tenders. BJP party executive member Vivekanand Gupta, in a post on X, claimed that a Rs 3,200-crore tender for roads in western suburbs could favour a specific contractor, calling it a “big scam”.