Scrutiny over Dibrugarh campus as CBSE-affiliated Agraasen Academy and Marwari Hindi High School share same land

A CORRESPONDENT

DIBRUGARH: Serious questions have been raised over the land, infrastructure, and affiliation arrangements of two educational institutions operating on the same campus in Dibrugarh.

The century-old Marwari Hindi High School, established in 1936, has been functioning on the premises, while Agraasen Academy, which was started in 1999, is also operating from a portion of the same building and land. The academy subsequently received affiliation from the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) in 2006.

The issue has now prompted demands for verification of land ownership documents, land-use arrangements, and records relating to the CBSE affiliation.

The matter came to light amid concerns raised by students and parents of Marwari Hindi High School over the non-availability of mid-day meals at the institution for several years. Student organisations later sought clarification from the Marwari Education Foundation.

Founding Secretary Mahabir Bagaria said that the mid-day meal programme was a government scheme and was not operated by the foundation.

During discussions, details concerning the history of the school and the land on which the institutions are functioning also emerged. According to Bagaria, Marwari Hindi High School was established in 1936 to provide education to children of the Hindi-speaking community. He said that the land for the school had been donated to the Marwari community by the Saharia family several decades ago. The school was subsequently established on the land, while the Marwari Education Foundation was later formed to manage and administer the institution.

Bagaria said that the then management committee started Agraasen Academy in 1999 in a portion of the building occupied by Marwari Hindi High School. He further stated that the process of transferring the school land to the Marwari Education Foundation was undertaken in 2003, while Agraasen Academy received CBSE affiliation in 2006.

The development has raised questions over the circumstances under which CBSE affiliation was granted to an institution functioning on a portion of the same land and building where another school had already been operating for decades.

Bagaria has alleged that the entire plot was presented as the land of Agraasen Academy while fulfilling land-related requirements for CBSE affiliation, and that the existence of Marwari Hindi High School on the premises was allegedly not disclosed.

It is learnt that following a complaint submitted to the CBSE by a youth, the board sought details and documents relating to the land from the Marwari Education Foundation. The development has further intensified scrutiny of the affiliation and land-use arrangements.

The key question now is whether two schools affiliated to different education boards can legally function on the same land and campus under the circumstances prevailing in this case.

Bagaria has also levelled allegations against some members of the then management committee, claiming that decisions taken at the time were influenced by considerations of social standing and personal influence.

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