The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has withdrawn the affiliation of Neerja Modi School in Jaipur with immediate effect after a probe into the death of a 9-year-old Class 4 student on November 1, 2025 exposed serious lapses in child safety protocols, official documents show.
The board’s action follows an internal investigation and issuance of notices to the school under the Affiliation Bye-Laws of CBSE, which set out mandatory safety and grievance-redressal requirements for affiliated institutions.
Incident and Probe Findings
On November 1, 2025, a Class 4 student – identified in official references as a 9-year-old child – died after falling from the fourth floor of the school building in Jaipur. A CBSE fact-finding committee was constituted and visited the school on November 3, 2025, following which it held discussions with the student’s family and reviewed documentation.
The CBSE probe report cited “gross violations of child safety norms”, including failure of the school’s counselling mechanism and grievance redressal system mandated under the board’s affiliation bylaws. Based on the committee’s findings and the school’s responses, the board concluded safety protocols were not adequately implemented.
CBSE Order and Penalties
In an official order dated December 30, 2025, the CBSE stated that the cumulative evidence showed a “complete failure” in the institution’s safety framework, justifying the severest penalty – withdrawal of affiliation up to the Senior Secondary level.
As per the order:
- Existing Class 10 and 12 students may complete their Board examinations at the same school for the 2025-26 session.
- Students currently in Classes 9 and 11 are to be transferred by Regional Officer (CBSE, Ajmer) to nearby schools for the 2026-27 session by March 31, 2026.
- The school has been instructed not to admit new students or promote current pupils in lower classes to Classes 9 and 11 for future sessions.
The board’s decision also allows Neerja Modi School to apply for restoration of affiliation up to the secondary level from the 2027-28 academic year onwards, but only after full compliance with safety and child protection requirements stipulated under the affiliation bylaws.
Safety Norms and Child Protection Standards
CBSE affiliation bylaws require schools to maintain robust mechanisms for student safety, including physical infrastructure safeguards, counselling services, and a functioning grievance redressal system for safeguarding children’s wellbeing. The board’s order emphasized that lack of such mechanisms can undermine the safe school environment that affiliation is premised upon.
In its public explanation, CBSE noted that the findings indicated failure of counselling and redressal systems to address repeated concerns, which the board said were raised prior to the incident.
Response and Next Steps
The CBSE action underscores intensified scrutiny of school safety standards nationwide, following a series of high-profile incidents in recent years. While Neerja Modi School’s affiliation has been withdrawn for the senior secondary section, details regarding the status of Classes 1-8 remain subject to decisions by the Rajasthan Directorate of Secondary Education, as indicated in the CBSE order.
The school has been given an opportunity to address lapses and re-apply for affiliation in compliance with all statutory safety norms after the prescribed waiting period.