CBSE SCHOOL AFFILIATION PROCESS AND RULES

CBSE Rules on Staff Salary – Key Highlights:

1. Pay Scale Must Match Government Norms

• As per CBSE Affiliation Bye-Law Clause 5.3(f):

"The school shall ensure that the salaries and allowances payable to the staff are as per the norms of the concerned State/UT Government."

• This means salaries should be at par with State Government pay scales, including DA, HRA, and other admissible benefits.

2. Payment Through Bank Only

• Salaries must be disbursed via bank transfer only—cash payments are not permitted.
• Proof of salary payment is subject to inspection and must be maintained properly.

3. EPF & Statutory Benefits

• CBSE mandates that affiliated  schools must provide Employee Provident Fund (EPF) and other      statutory benefits to eligible staff, as per Government rules.

4. No Arbitrary Salary Cuts

• Schools are not permitted to  cut salaries arbitrarily, especially under pretexts like low  admissions, holidays, or school closure.

5. Equal Pay for Equal Work

• CBSE discourages the practice of hiring underpaid, under-qualified staff. Teachers must be appointed as per qualification norms, and paid accordingly.

6. No Disparity Between Contractual & Regular Teachers

• If contractual teachers are  appointed, the difference in pay should not violate principles of  equality, especially if they are doing the same duties as regular staff.

7. Display Salary Structure

• During CBSE inspection or  affiliation process, the salary register, appointment letters, bank statements, and related documents are verified.

 The minimum land area required depends on the school's location and the level of affiliation. For instance, in Municipal Limits of cities with a population exceeding 15 Lakhs, it's 6000 sq. meters, while for Class-X cities it can be 3000 sq. meters. 

 All land title documents must be in the name of the School or Society/Trust/Company that established the school. If leased, the land must be for a minimum effective term of 15 years, and the lease deed should specifically be for running a school. 

 A minimum size of 8 m x 6 m (approximately 500 sq. ft.) is required for classrooms, with a minimum floor space of at least 1 sq. meter per student. 

For Science, Senior Secondary, Physics, Chemistry, and Biology laboratories, the minimum size is 9 m x 6 m (approximately 600 sq. ft.) and they must be fully equipped. For Computer Laboratories, the minimum size is 9 m x 6 m (approximately 600 sq. ft.), with a minimum of 20 computers for a student ratio of 1:20. The number of lab will increase as per the strenght of students.

 A library must have a minimum size of 14 m x 8 m, be fully equipped, and have sufficient numbers of age-appropriate books for all students. It should include E-Books, Fiction, Non-fiction, Reference Books, Encyclopedias, Periodicals, Magazines, Journals, and Newspapers. 

 The school must provide adequate potable drinking water on each floor and clean, healthy, and hygienic toilets separately for boys and girls, proportionate to the number of students. Toilets for primary students should be separate from other toilets. 

 The school must provide proper facilities like ramps, toilets, and lifts/elevators in accordance with the provisions laid down in RPWD Act-2016. 

 Adequate ground to create outdoor facilities for at least 200 meter athletics track, and facilities for kabaddi, kho-kho, volleyball, basketball etc., are required. 

 No, a school is not permitted to start CBSE pattern Classes IX/X/XI/XII without obtaining formal Grant of Affiliation from the Board. 

Yes, but it is not allowed without prior approval of the Board, and it must be in the interest of furtherance of education. A fee as given in Appendix-I is charged for this transfer.

 The school shall not run classes in two shifts without the formal prior approval of the Board. Permission for two shifts requires approval from the concerned State/UT Government and the Board. Separate staff for each shift, including a separate Head Master/Vice-Principal for supervision, and separate records, are required. 

 Yes, the land on which the school is located should necessarily be a single contiguous plot. 

 All sides of the land should be surrounded by a pucca boundary wall. 

 Yes, it is explicitly asked whether any public road, canal, or thoroughfare, HT line etc. passes through the land, implying this is a condition that needs to be addressed or is generally not preferred. 

The  land title documents can include a Sale Deed, Conveyance Deed, Gift Deed, Lease Deed, or Allotment Letter.

For general affiliation up to Class XII, a minimum of 8000 square meters of land is required. Check CBSE Byelawys.

Yes, an amendment in the Affiliation Bye-Laws-2018, as per Circular No. 04/2025 dated 20 February 2025, permits schools to apply for affiliation with or without an NOC.

 SQAAF (School Quality Assessment and Accreditation Framework) is a mandatory requirement for all existing schools intending to apply under any affiliation category. 

 All existing schools must ensure their OASIS data is correctly updated, and no incorrect information should be provided. Furthermore, uploading of prescribed documents as per Annexure-IX along with details of teachers and their qualifications on the school's website under Mandatory Public Disclosure is compulsory, as per Circular No. 01/2025 dated 08 January 2025. 

 For "Section Increase" applications, at least 10% of total applications received undergo Virtual Inspection on a case-to-case basis. For "Introduction of additional science subjects" (Physics, Chemistry & Biology) for Senior Secondary classes (when the school is already affiliated up to Senior Secondary Level without science subjects), a 100% Virtual Inspection is required.

 Yes, categories such as "Permission of two Shifts", "Section Increase", "Change of name of school", "Transfer of school from society/trust/company", and "Shifting of school from one campus to another" have their SARAS window open throughout the year. Additionally, all categories of applications for Foreign/International Schools also remain open round the year, as per Circular No. 17/2024 dated 19 November 2024. 

 A school affiliated with the Board may change its name subject to the following conditions and submission of documentary proof. An express approval from the Appropriate Government is required. A certificate of the change of name from the competent registration authority is also needed, and a feefor this change is applicable. 

 An NOC is a letter issued by the Education Department of the State/Union Territory where the school is located, stating that they have no objection to the school affiliating with the CBSE. Schools must obtain and submit a formal NOC from their concerned State Government. 

Every affiliated school must arrange for annual training programmes. Every teacher at the school level must undergo at least 3 days of in-house training annually. 

Yes, every affiliated school must have a scheme of management as per following clauses.

The management committee of a recognized aided school consists of not more than fifteen members, and a private unaided school's management committee consists of not more than twenty one members. It includes the Head of the school, two parents, two teachers, two members nominated by the Board, and members from the Society/Trust/Company.

The School Management Committee must meet at least twice in an academic session.

 Yes, but it is not allowed without prior approval of the Board, and it must be in the interest of furtherance of education. A fee as given in Appendix-I is charged for this transfer. 

 The School or Society/Trust/Company must own the land on which the school is located.

 All sides of the land should be surrounded by a pucca boundary wall. 

 The land title documents can include a Sale Deed, Conveyance Deed, Gift Deed, Lease Deed, or Allotment Letter. 

 In case of a lease, the lease deed must be for a minimum effective term of 15 years. 

 The period of validity of the lease or any other documents of property should be such that it guarantees the enjoyment of lawful rights over the land for a continuous period of five years or more for the session in which the application for initial affiliation has been submitted. 

 The school must follow the guidelines related to the safety of the children in schools contained in the guidelines issued by the Hon'ble Supreme Court of India, the School Safety Policy 2016 (NDMA, NCPCR), and the National Building Code-2005.

The school building must be inspected by a Government Engineer who certifies its structural safety.

An officer of the Government Fire Department is responsible for  declaring the cbse school building safe from the point of view of fire safety.

The Public Health Department is responsible for conducting health inspections of the school premises. They verify that the sanitary conditions are maintained as per standards and that the drinking water provided is safe. Upon satisfactory inspection, they issue the necessary health and sanitation certification for the CBSE school. 

A  school may shift its campus only with formal prior approval from the Board, obtained after the request is approved by the concerned State/UT Government. An affidavit must be submitted confirming that the CBSE affiliation number or name will not be used at the old site, and permission is granted following an inspection by the Board-appointed committee. A fee for site shifting is also applicable as per Appendix-I.

 Yes, as per the amendment in the CBSE Affiliation Bye-Laws 2018 and CBSE Circular No. 04/2025 dated 20th February 2025, schools are now allowed to apply for CBSE affiliation with or without obtaining a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the State Education Department.