Delhi: For many students in India, securing admission to a prestigious medical or engineering college is the ultimate goal. In the highly competitive landscape of entrance exams like the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) and the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE), coaching centres have long played a crucial role. However, in Delhi, a growing network of ‘dummy schools’ is allowing students to sidestep traditional schooling and exploit the state’s domicile quota system, raising concerns about the integrity of the education system.
What are dummy schools?
Dummy schools are board affiliated institutions that officially enrol students but do not require them to attend regular classes. Instead, these students dedicate their time entirely to coaching for competitive exams like NEET and JEE. Unlike traditional schools that mandate classroom attendance, dummy schools offer a loophole by fulfilling the basic academic requirements on paper while allowing students to focus exclusively on their exam preparation.
These schools often work in collaboration with coaching institutes that specialise in NEET and JEE training, creating an ecosystem that prioritises exam success over holistic learning. Parents also directly approach dummy schools to enrol their children, sometimes paying exorbitant fees for the privilege of avoiding traditional schooling requirements.
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High court crackdown on dummy schools
The rise of dummy schools has drawn the scrutiny of authorities, leading the Delhi High Court to intervene. On January 28, a bench comprising Chief Justice DK Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela ordered the Delhi government’s education department and CBSE to clamp down on dummy schools operating in the city.
The court ruled that schools permitting students to attend only coaching classes while appearing for board exams based on “absolutely false information” should not be allowed to function. Authorities were directed to conduct surveys and, if necessary, conduct surprise inspections. Both the education department and CBSE were ordered to compile reports and submit affidavits detailing the actions taken against these schools.
How dummy schools affect students
The issue was brought to light by petitioner Rajeev Aggarwal, who challenged the eligibility criteria set by Delhi University and Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University for MBBS and BDS admissions under the Delhi State Quota (DSQ). He alleged that certain dummy schools offered a “virtual platform” for students to falsely establish migration to Delhi after passing their Class 10 exams. According to him, this was done solely to secure the benefits of Delhi state quota seats, which should rightfully be reserved for bona fide residents of the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi.
“There are over 50 schools which function in the dummy format, and they are being permitted to function without any restraint,” he said.
Schools caught in the act
In a notification issued on November 6, 2024, CBSE revealed that 21 schools had been disaffiliated across Rajasthan and Delhi. Of these, 16 were based in Delhi, while six were in Rajasthan. The decision followed a surprise inspection on September 3, 2024, at 27 schools in these regions.
Beyond the 21 disaffiliated schools, six others had their affiliation status downgraded— these schools are also located in Delhi.
Despite being disaffiliated, many of these schools continue to operate their websites, openly accepting admissions for higher secondary classes. The 21 schools that were disaffiliated include:
- Khemo Devi Public School and The Vivekanand School in Narela
- Sant Gyaneshwar Model School in Alipur
- PD Model Secondary School in Sultanpuri Road
- Siddhartha Public School in Kanjhawala
- Rahul Public School in Rajiv Nagar Extn.
- Bharti Vidya Niketan Public School in Chander Vihar
- USM Public Secondary School and SGN Public School in Nangloi
- RD International School in Baprola
- Heera Lal Public School in Madanpur Dabas
- BR International School in Mungeshpur
- KRD International School in Dhansa Road
- MR Bharti Model Senior Secondary School in Mundka
Secondary School in Mundka Most of these schools are concentrated in Delhi’s West and North West districts.
The role of coaching centres
Many coaching centres actively facilitate the operation of dummy schools. These centres act as intermediaries, helping students enrol in non-attending schools while offering full-time coaching for competitive exams, Patriot found, in its investigation.
A prominent coaching centre based in Vikaspuri, openly advertises such services. It offers students multiple options, including enrolment in dummy schools that allow them to appear for Class 12 board exams without attending regular classes.
Besides Delhi, the centre also has a branch in Bihar.
“Schooling from Delhi makes the student eligible for admission in Delhi government colleges through 85% state quota for candidates. This makes the probability of the candidate getting into a government college at a lower rank much higher,” the brochure states.
Another centre in the same locality also offers similar services to students. However, recently it removed all information about its services from the internet. “We provide the best dummy schools in Delhi,” its brochure once stated. However, when contacted, an employee from the institute denied providing such services. “It has been paused for the time being,” he said.
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The advantage of the Delhi quota
Under the Delhi Diploma Level Technical Education Institutions Act, 2007, apart from the management quota, 85% of the total seats are allocated for “Delhi students,” with the remaining 15% for “outside Delhi students or such other allocation as the government may by notification in the official Gazette direct.”
The Act defines a ‘Delhi candidate’ as one who has “appeared or passed the qualifying examination from a recognised school or institution situated in Delhi.”
“The possibility of securing a seat in a government college in Delhi is much higher since many seats are allocated for Delhi students. The fact is that compared to other North Indian states, Delhi has a lot more choices when it comes to colleges, which eventually makes it easier for a domicile student to get admitted to a government college here,” said an employee of another coaching centre based in Vikaspuri.
He explained, “If there are a total of 12,500 eligible seats for JEE(Mains) in Delhi, 10,625 Delhi students will be able to qualify for the Advanced category. Thus, these students will also be given preference in government colleges.”
The coaching centre staffer added that states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and others lack the advantage that Delhi has due to insufficient domicile seats there.
The cost of dummy school enrolment
These centres charge upwards of Rs 60,000 per annum for dummy school enrolment, with some demanding as much as Rs 2.5 lakh. Board examination fees are charged separately.
On February 13, CBSE acknowledged that the success of a candidate from a disaffiliated dummy school in Delhi’s Nangloi, SGN Public School, was an outlier. “Non-attending schools, often seen as a shortcut to exam success, do not align with NEP 2020’s goals. Regular schools provide a structured environment that supports learning, social interaction, and personal growth. Coaching centres can alleviate gaps, but they cannot substitute for the complete education offered by regular institutions,” CBSE said in a press statement.
As authorities continue their crackdown, the Delhi High Court has scheduled the next hearing in the case for May.
