Neerja Modi School suicide case: CBSE cites 'gross violations of child safety norms' in Class 9 Jaipur student death; withdraws affiliation

JAIPUR: The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has ordered the immediate withdrawal of affiliation up to senior secondary level for Neerja Modi School, following the death of a 9-year-old child and subsequent scrutiny of the school’s compliance with CBSE affiliation bylaws.

The order comes exactly two months after 9-year-old Amaira Kumar fell to her death from the fourth-floor parapet of school on Nov 1.


Citing “gross violations of child safety norms” and statutory requirements, CBSE said the cumulative findings, based on committee reports, available records, and the school’s response, showed a “complete failure of the counselling mechanism and grievance redressal system” mandated under the affiliation bylaws.

Violations warrant strict, immediate action: Board

The Board also said the violations amounted to serious breaches directly affecting student safety and physical and mental wellbeing, and concluded that the school’s conduct reflected “willful nonobservance of child safety norms”, as a result of which the school environment could not be considered safe, warranting the severest penalty, withdrawal of affiliation.

“A school is expected to be a safe haven for students, with society placing high expectations on the institution for the academic and overall development of its students. These violations strike at the very foundation of the affiliation and warrant strict and immediate action,” the Dec 30 CBSE order, addressed to the manager of the Neerja Modi school, said.

The board in its order also mentioned, “...this incident was completely preventable had the required provisions would have been followed.”

With the withdrawal of affiliation kicking in with immediate effect, the Board also provisioned for existing students enrolled in the school. It said that while students in Class X and XII are permitted to appear for their Board exams from the same school for the current 2025-26 session, students in Classes IX and XI will be required to shift schools. The Board has also directed the school to accept no new admissions.

“Students who are presently in Class IX and XI shall be shifted to nearby school by Regional Officer, CBSE, Ajmer by March 31, 2026 for session 2026-27. The school shall not take any new admissions or promote the students of lower classes to IX and XI by natural progression hereafter.” The CBSE order, however, allowed the school to seek restoration of affiliation up to secondary level from academic year 2027-28 after complying with the mandatory safety norms and other provisions of child safety protocols.

An application for restoration of affiliation up to senior secondary level, however, can only be moved after 2 academic years, CBSE has ruled. The Board has also left the decision for the school to continue classes 1-8 on the Rajasthan govt, and said that the director of secondary education of the state govt “may decide on the status of recognition of the school”. A2-member CBSE fact-finding committee has visited the school on Nov 3. The team had subsequently met the deceased girl’s parents on Nov 12.