Submission of applications under categories for the session 2023-24 in SARAS

Submission of applications under categories for the session 2023-24 in SARAS

NO. CBSE/AFF./2022

Circular

All Heads & Managers of the Schools

Subject:         Submission of applications under categories for the session 2023-24 in SARAS

The Board had issued Circular No. 01/2022 dated 14.02.2022, Circular No. 04/2022 dated 19.05.2022 and circular 09/2022 dated 02.09.2022 regarding submission of applications for Affiliation under various categories in SARAS portal. In this connection, the Board after due consideration has decided to open the window of online applications for affiliation under various categories of affiliation as per the  timeline appended below:

The following categories of application for affiliation and its modalities are as under:

The schools applying under various categories of affiliation must ensure that they fulfil the following conditions as per the requirements as prescribed in the CBSE Affiliation Bye Laws before applying for Affiliation.

A. Essential Documents

The school is required to submit the following essential documents at the time of filling online application in PART-A and to be placed before the inspection committee in original for verification at the time of inspection of the school:

• No Objection Certificate from the concerned State/UT Govt.
• Recognition Certificate from Competent Govt. Educational Authority.
• Land Certificate issued by DM/ ADM/ SDM/ Tehsildar/ Naib Tehsildar/ Registrar/ Sub- Registrar/ Equivalent Land Authority.
• Building Safety Certificate issued by Assistant Engineer and above rank officer of Govt. Department
• Fire Safety Certificate issued by the concerned Fire Department
• Society / Trust / Company registration
• Facility of potable water & Sanitation certificate issued by the Competent Govt. Authority.

(Note – Suggestive formats for all the 07 essential documents are circulated for guidance vide circular no. 12/2022 dated 14.10.2022)

B. Physical Infrastructure :

The school is required to submit the following infrastructural details at the time of filling online application in PART-B and to get these verified by the inspection committee, at the time of inspection of the school:

• The name of the school is prominently painted / displayed on the façade / entrance gate. Flex boards or other temporary posters displaying the name of the school will not be acceptable.
• Concrete/Pucca boundary wall of not less than 6 ft height, enclosing the school campus/site. Composite boundary walls which are partly concrete and partly grill/mesh/barbed wire will not be acceptable.
• Ramps at the entrance(s) of the school.
• Ramps/lifts for CWSN to access the upper floors of the school( in case of a multistoried school)
• Appropriate   laboratory   infrastructure   for   composite   science   lab, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Mathematics and Computer lab
• Composite Science Lab in Secondary & Senior Secondary both Schools
• Well stocked library with adequate reading area
• Well developed indoor and outdoor sports facilities
• Toilet facilities available in the school for boys and girls and urinal station in school toilets with proper partition.
• Separate toilets for CWSN, boys and girls. These should be provided on every floor (in case of multistoried schools)
• Aerial view of school covering school campus, playground, Pucca boundary wall not less than 6 feet all around the school campus/site.
• Verification that no public road, canal or thorough-fare, HT line etc. is passing through the land in which school is located
• No other school / institution should be existing in the same premises.

C. Academic management  and Teaching Learning practices of the school

The school shall present relevant records viz appointment of teachers, Counselors and Wellness Teachers and Special Educators, their qualification and other testimonials during the inspection for verification.

The school shall appoint a well-qualified and trained (a) Principal (b) Physical Education Teacher (PET)&

(c) Librarian. The school shall invariably present these documents during inspection.

Teaching Learning practices and management of the school shall broadly be assessed by the inspection committee on the following key points. The school is suggested to prepare themselves accordingly.

• School Governance leadership and Management
• Curriculum Design, Planning and Review
• School Life- Teaching , learning –Assessment
• Process of teaching learning in a few classes.
• School life- Safety and Hygiene
• School Life- Inclusion
• Teacher development
• Enabling Resources
• Overall ambience, neat, clean and green environment

D. Constitution of various committees as per Affiliation Bye-Laws & other statutory requirements

The school must constitute the following committees, in compliance to the existing guidelines. The notification of all these committees must reflect with proper name of the Chairman and its Committee Members. The details of the constitution of committee will be verified by the inspection committee during inspection of school:

• a) Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act- 2013
• b) Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act- 2012 (POCSO Act),
• c) School Management Committee as per clause 8.1 of Affiliation Bye Laws 2018 of the Board.

E. The complete Inspection report submitted by the Inspection Committee would be visible to school within 24 hours on submission of online feedback form. The school is expected to acquaint themselves with the CBSE Affiliation/Examination Bye-Laws including subsequent amendments therein/guidelines/directions /User Manual etc. of the Board issued from time to time before applying for the affiliation and subsequently after grant also.

F. The school is note ligible to start classes IX, X, XI or XII (as the case may be) without grant of affiliation by the Board.

G. Salient points to be followed by the schools before submission of application for Affiliation under different Categories –

• In case of extension and upgradation cases, the latest grant letter received from the Board (fresh/extension/upgradation) to be uploaded.
• Appointment of Special Educator as per rule position 2.4.11 of affiliation bye-laws 2018.
• Wellness Teacher / counsellor as per rule position 2.4.12 of affiliation bye-laws 2018
• The optimum number of students should be as per rule 4.8 of Affiliation Bye-Laws 2018.
• Sufficient qualified teachers as per rule position 5.1 of affiliation bye-laws 2018
• Teacher- pupil ratio as per norms as per rule position 5.4 of affiliation bye-laws 2018

The schools may ensure that the following condition with regard to infrastructure are met before applying for Affiliation –

All the applicant schools are advised to ensure that the above parameters are fulfilled in all respect and also SOPs laid down in the circular no.11/2022 dated 04.10.2022 are perused vis-à-vis various laboratories, library& Sports facilities are met in order to avoid any rejection of application at the Board’s end.

The school shall apply online and upload all the essential documents mentioned above in part ‘A’ with initial payment of Rs. 10,000/-. The documents will be scrutinized by the Board. In case of incorrect/invalid document are uploaded, observation of the Board shall be reflected in the progress panel. Thereafter, as a single chance, school shall get an opportunity to upload the correct document (s) within the stipulated time and in case of failure to upload the documents, the application shall be rejected summarily and fees paid will be forfeited. No separate representation will be entertained. Thereafter, the school may apply afresh for affiliation.

On successful completion of PART-A, which will be reflected in the progress panel of the application, the school shall fill the PART-B of application and remit the balance fees. The physical inspection of the school will be done by inspection committee appointed by the Board in r/o categories mentioned in Group-A  categories above. In similar way virtual inspection of the school shall be done for the categories of application as mentioned in Group-B categories above. The category of application mentioned in Group-C  categories above shall be processed through automated mode on the basis of submitted documents as per relevant category wise requirement in the Affiliation Bye-laws 2018.

The detailed Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to conduct inspection of school is available at link  http://saras.cbse.gov.in/SARAS/Home/Information  (Chapter 5,6,7) which may be referred by the applicant school to make ready for the inspection process.

Important points –

Inspection of the school shall be video graphed live, by the applicant school, which must cover;

• A. Essential Documents
• B. Physical Infrastructure
• C. Academic management and Teaching Learning practices of the school

Suggestive SOP for preparation of videography during inspection is appended as per following:

Duration of Videography of each area/aspect to be covered

The videography should include a group photograph of the IC with the school staff.

H. Review Procedure in respect to rejected inspection cases (Through Virtual Mode)

In case after scrutiny of the inspection report, the board finds the school is not eligible for grant of affiliation on specific deficiencies, the same will be conveyed to the schools on its progress panel. The school is given an opportunity to represent their stand before review committee. The school shall apply for review within 30 days of communication of rejection.

• The review committee constituted by the Board will meet within the earliest possible time and the meeting will be conducted in virtual mode or as decided by the Board.
• Two representatives of the applicant school (Chairman/Secretary of the Trust/Principal/Director/Manager) shall represent their case with valid photo ID.
• The school will keep ready all the supporting documents in respect of which deficiencies had been pointed out.
• The complete inspection of the review committee will be recorded on Microsoft Teams.
• After receiving the review committee report, the final decision of the Board will be communicated on the progress panel.
• The Virtual inspection should be covered through professional videography and videography through mobile/tab is not allowed.
• The schools are advised to follow the steps of review process as per the SOP by filling up the login ID credentials in the progress panel.

This issues with the approval of the Competent Authority.

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