India launches School Management Guidelines

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan launched the School Management Committee (SMC) Guidelines 2026, a significant reform aimed at strengthening community participation and improving school governance in India. These guidelines, developed by the India — Ministry of Education (India) in line with the National Education Policy 2020, introduce a unified SMC structure for all classes from Balvatika to Class 12. Key features include clearly defined roles and responsibilities for SMCs, enhanced accountability, transparency, and financial oversight, and a focus on proactive monitoring of student attendance and teacher engagement. The guidelines also mandate democratic elections for SMCs, with 75% parent/guardian representation and 50% women members, along with proportionate representation for Socio-Economically Disadvantaged Groups. The India — National Council of Educational Research and Training is also rolling out new textbooks and curriculum changes, including computational thinking and AI education from Class 3, to align with the new pedagogical approach.