The management of Seventh-day Adventist Higher Secondary School in Ahmedabad’s Maninagar area has approached the Gujarat High Court challenging the state government’s decision to take over the institution’s administration. The school filed a special civil application on Tuesday, 16 December, a day after the takeover came into effect.
The institution, which enrols nearly 10,000 students from kindergarten to Class 12, has also filed separate petitions challenging the probes ordered by the District Education Officer into the school’s affairs. These petitions are listed for hearing on Thursday, 18 December.
The state government issued the takeover order on 15 December 2025, approximately four months after a Class 8 student allegedly stabbed a Class 10 student with a sharp weapon on campus, causing the latter’s death. The tragedy prompted multiple representations demanding strict action against the school management and triggered an official inquiry that uncovered widespread violations of education laws, affiliation norms and safety regulations.
Acting on complaints, the Gujarat Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board (GSHSEB) and the Directorate of Primary Education directed the Ahmedabad DEO to investigate the school’s functioning. A committee formed under Rule 14 of the Gujarat RTE Rules, 2012, conducted site inspections and a formal inquiry. The school, which operates both as an ICSE-affiliated institution for Classes 1 to 12 and runs GSHSEB-recognised senior secondary classes in the Science stream, shifted to online learning for over a month following the fatal incident.
The DEO submitted a report on 18 October 2025 documenting serious deficiencies. Investigators found the school had started additional classes without obtaining prior approval from concerned boards. While seeking GSHSEB approval for its senior secondary section, the school had submitted an affidavit declaring that no other secondary or higher secondary institution operated on the premises, even though the ICSE school was already functioning there. The investigation termed this suppression of facts.
The report raised concerns about the identity of the entity running the school. Different documents cited different trusts or societies as the managing body, violating CISCE rules requiring a school to be run by a single registered non-profit trust or society. The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation had leased the land for 99 years to “The India Financial Association of Seventh-day Adventists” for educational purposes. However, investigators found the school was allegedly being run by “The Council of Seventh-Day Adventist Educational Institutions / Ashlock Education Trust”, breaching lease conditions.
Building approvals also drew scrutiny. Sanctioned plans showed only two buildings, but the campus now has three structures. A Building Use permission certificate was produced only for B Block, obtained in 2009, with remaining construction lacking BU permission. The probe accused the school of profiteering through book sales on premises, prohibited under the Gujarat Self-Financed Schools (Fee Regulation) Act, 2017. The school was also running two shifts without requisite approval, separate staffing or separate records. MBA and Bachelor of Science and Arts colleges were functioning on the campus without obtaining a No Objection Certificate from the board.
The Directorate of Primary Education concluded that the school had violated multiple rules including Rule 106(a) of the Bombay Primary Education Rules, 1949, and Rule 13 of the Gujarat RTE Rules, 2012. It recommended the state take over the school’s administration. On 6 November 2025, the GSHSEB placed the recommendation before the state government, which granted approval.
“The state govt has taken over the administration of the school, and the Ahmedabad DEO has been appointed the administrator,” said Mukesh Kumar, principal secretary of education. “We will also take measures if other schools are found flouting rules.”
Rohit Chaudhary, the Ahmedabad DEO, said he has not come across any instance of such a takeover within the GSHSEB ecosystem or grant-in-aid schools. “Our priority will be to address students’ concerns and ensure their welfare,” he said.
The takeover covers all sections of the school, including GSHSEB-recognised and ICSE-affiliated classes as well as the private primary school operating under the Bombay Primary Education Rules, 1949. The government resolution bars new admissions while the takeover remains in effect. Parents have made representations urging that administrative changes should not adversely affect students.
Article image from here.
