The Haryana government has relaxed rules to help private schools in the state get permanent recognition.

Replying to a question asked during the monsoon session of the Haryana Legislative Assembly on Tuesday, the education minister, Kanwar Pal said many exemptions have also been given for giving temporary recognition to private schools that do not fulfil the rules.

He said the availability of land is a major problem for them. Considering this problem, the state government has reduced the area requirement for primary school from 500 square meters to a minimum of 250 square meters.

The minister said for middle schools, the land requirement has been reduced from 800 square meters to a minimum of 500 square meters, for high schools from 2000 square meters to a minimum of 1200 square meters.

For senior secondary school for arts and commerce faculty, the land requirement was reduced from 3000 square meters to a minimum of 1800 square meters. The area requirement for arts, commerce and science faculties has been reduced from 4000 square meters to 2000 square meters.

Kanwar Pal said in order to provide permanent recognition to private schools, the Department of Elementary Education gives permission to open schools from Class I to VIII, following which the schools apply for permanent recognition under the Right to Education Act, 2009. The permanent recognition has to be obtained within a period of two years from the date of grant of permission.

He said that if any area wants to upgrade its schools from class IX to class XII, then they will have to apply afresh to the directorate of secondary education for permission or permanent recognition under the present Haryana School Education Rules, 2003.

The education minister said as per Rule 38 and 39 of Haryana School Education Rules, 2003, the existing recognized or deemed recognized schools running before April 30, 2003, will not have to obtain any new recognition or no-objection certificate from the department. However, they will have to submit returns in respect of their land and building and these schools will be reviewed after every 10 years.

He said the schools which were running before the Haryana School Education Rules, 2003 have been considered as existing schools. Such schools have automatically got recognition.

A portal has been created to simplify the process of granting permanent recognition to the schools. School heads can now apply for recognition through this portal, Kanwar Pal said.