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Category — GS Paper 2 ///Published — 2026-05-08 ///Exam — Both Prelims and Mains ///Tags — Education, Governance, Children ///Category — GS Paper 2 ///Published — 2026-05-08 ///Exam — Both Prelims and Mains ///Tags — Education, Governance, Children ///

News · GS Paper 2

Empowered School Management Committees: A Leap Towards Decentralised Education Governance

The Union Ministry of Education has issued new guidelines mandating empowered School Management Committees (SMCs) across all schools up to Class 12, replacing earlier provisions under Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan and RTE Act, 2009. The guidelines mandate 75% parent representation with 50% women, financial autonomy up to Rs 30 lakh, and mandatory inclusion of socio-economically disadvantaged groups. This marks a significant shift towards community-led school governance aligned with NEP 2020.

2026-05-08

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Key Highlights of SMC Guidelines

Expanded Jurisdiction

Scope Extended: SMCs now mandated for all schools up to Class 12 (previously limited to elementary schools under RTE Act)
Replaces SMDCs: School Management Development Committees replaced by unified SMCs
Timeline: Every school must constitute SMC within one month of academic year commencement

Demographic Composition

75% of SMC members must be parents/guardians
50% of total members must be women (ensuring gender representation)
25% comprises: local elected officials, teachers, and frontline workers (ASHA, Anganwadi workers)

Mandatory Inclusivity Provisions

Strict, proportionate representation for Socio-Economically Disadvantaged Groups (SEDGs)
Includes: SC, ST, OBC communities and Children with Special Needs (CwSN)
Ensures grassroots participation from marginalised sections

Financial Autonomy

SMCs granted authority to execute school civil works costing up to Rs 30 lakh directly
Oversight of school budgets to prevent financial irregularities
Empowers community in resource allocation decisions

Structural Framework

Each SMC establishes two dedicated sub-branches:

School Building Committee: Handles infrastructure development and maintenance
Academic Committee: Focuses on educational outcomes and quality improvement

Key Responsibilities

Mainstreaming out-of-school children: Tracking and reintegrating dropouts
PM-POSHAN scheme oversight: Including rotational daily tasting of meals for quality assurance
Three-year School Development Plan: Formulating comprehensive plans with annual sub-plans covering enrollment, staffing, and infrastructure needs

Legal and Policy Framework

Right to Education (RTE) Act, 2009: Previous mandate limited to schools up to Class 8
National Education Policy (NEP) 2020: Envisions decentralised, community-led governance
Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan: Previous programme framework being updated

Significance for Indian Education Governance

Decentralises educational administration to grassroots level
Ensures community participation in school management
Addresses inclusion concerns for disadvantaged groups
Transfers financial powers to local bodies for faster execution
Aligns with constitutional vision of community involvement in public institutions