Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Private school operators in Madhya Pradesh staged a protest outside the state BJP office on Tuesday, opposing recent changes in the state’s school recognition rules. The demonstration, which lasted for around two hours, highlighted growing discontent among private educational institutions regarding new regulations.

Following the protest, representatives of private schools announced plans to meet with the state’s Education Minister to discuss about their concerns. Revised recognition rules have sparked significant unrest within the private school community.

In response, on January 30, thousands of private schools across the state went on strike. By January 31 deadline, nearly 2,500 schools had applied for recognition, with over 10k schools submitting applications by the end of the month. However, the education department later extended the deadline for applications to February 7, allowing further submissions until February 14 with a late fee.

The decision to impose a late fee has drawn criticism from school operators, who view it as an additional financial burden. Amid ongoing discontent, Private School Association has sought police permission for a large-scale protest scheduled for February 6 at Neelam Park in Bhopal. Organisers expect around 25k participants, including school operators, teachers, staff and parents.