**Executive Summary**
The Union Minister for Education launched the School Management Committee (SMC) Guidelines 2026 on May 6, 2026, to align school governance with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. These guidelines aim to transform SMCs into "school community governing institutions" across nearly 15 lakh schools to enhance community ownership and student learning outcomes. Key requirements include constituting SMCs within one month of the academic year's start and conducting monthly meetings.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Structural Alignment and Scope**
* Supersedes all previous SMC/SMDC guidelines to align with the vision of NEP 2020.
* Establishes a single SMC for all grades from Balvatika to Grade 12.
* Mandates SMC size based on student enrollment: 12–15 members for up to 100 students, 15–20 for 100–500 students, and 20–25 for over 500 students.
* **Composition and Leadership**
* Includes elected parents or guardians as Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson.
* Membership comprises parents from all grades, local authority representatives, teachers, and experts (e.g., alumni, ASHA, or Anganwadi workers).
* The School Principal, Head Master, or School In-charge serves as the Member Secretary.
* **Governance and Operations**
* SMCs must be constituted within one month of the academic year's start, with the first meeting held within that same month.
* Meetings must be conducted at least once a month with a minimum 50% quorum.
* SMCs are responsible for preparing a three-year School Development Plan (SDP) with annual sub-plans.
* The committee is authorized to execute civil works costing up to 30 lakhs.
* **Enhanced Roles and Responsibilities**
* Monitoring student attendance, teacher engagement, and learning outcomes, specifically Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN).
* Ensuring school safety, disaster preparedness, and support for inclusive education and mental health.
* Overseeing various schemes and initiatives, including PM SHRI, PM POSHAN, ULLAS, Vidyanjali, and the PRASHAST App.
* Engaging in resource mobilization through alumni, volunteers, and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities.
**Impact Analysis**
**Parents and Local Guardians**
* **Impact:** They gain a central role in school governance, moving from passive observers to active decision-makers regarding school quality and student welfare.
* **Action Required:** Participate in the democratic election of the committee and attend monthly meetings to oversee school functioning and development plans.
**School Principals and Teachers**
* **Impact:** They must transition to a more transparent, community-led governance model and coordinate closely with external stakeholders for academic and administrative planning.
* **Action Required:** The Principal must act as Member Secretary, facilitate the formation of the SMC within the first month of the academic year, and organize capacity-building training.
**Local Authorities and Community Experts**
* **Impact:** Local leaders, alumni, and health workers (ASHA/AWW) are integrated into the school ecosystem to provide specialized support and social oversight.
* **Action Required:** Experts and local representatives must collaborate with the SMC on resource mobilization, social audits, and monitoring infrastructure safety.
**Students**
* **Impact:** Benefit from improved learning outcomes, better safety standards, and more inclusive environments tailored to their mental health and developmental needs.
* **Action Required:** Senior students may serve as committee members to provide direct feedback on academic quality and school environment.
Key Entities Referenced
School Management Committee (SMC) Guidelines 2026: A new framework designed to transform SMCs from monitoring bodies into school community governing institutions to enhance local participation and educational outcomes.
National Education Policy (NEP) 2020: The national policy whose vision of community ownership and holistic child development is operationalized through these new SMC guidelines.
Right to Education (RTE) Act 2009: The legislative foundation for SMCs, which the 2026 guidelines seek to evolve by moving beyond administrative monitoring to active school governance.
Shri Dharmendra Pradhan: The Union Minister for Education who launched the guidelines and championed the role of community participation in strengthening the education system.
Samagra Shiksha: The overarching centrally sponsored scheme for school education that defines the composition and functional structure of School Management Committees.
Ministry of Education
Shri Dharmendra Pradhan launches School
Management Committee (SMC) Guidelines in
New Delhi
School Management Committee Guidelines 2026 to
strengthen community participation and school governance -
Shri Dharmendra Pradhan
Shri Dharmendra Pradhan calls for School Management
Committees to become a people’s movement for
strengthening education
Posted On: 06 MAY 2026 6:00PM by PIB Delhi
Union Minister for Education, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, launched School Management Committee
(SMC) Guidelines today at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi. Shri Ashish Sood, Education Minister,
Government of NCT of Delhi; Shri Gajender Yadav, Minister of School Education, Government of
Chhattisgarh; Shri Sanjay Kumar, Secretary, Department of School Education & Literacy (DoSEL);
Secretary, Drinking Water and Sanitation, Shri Ashok Kumar Meena and Smt. Archana S. Awasthi,
Additional Secretary, DoSEL, along with other senior officials, were present during the occasion.Speaking on the occasion, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan said that the School Management Committee (SMC)
Guidelines–2026 will play a pivotal role in translating the vision of the National Education Policy (NEP)
2020 into action across the country’s nearly 15 lakh schools. He said the Guidelines envision SMCs as a
vital bridge between students, teachers, parents, and communities to ensure holistic development of
children through stronger community participation and shared responsibility in education.
Shri Pradhan emphasised that while the government is committed to ensuring education, health, well-
being, mental health, and support for Children With Special Needs (CWSN), the SMC Guidelines also
recognise the importance of handholding, mentoring, and community ownership in strengthening schools.
He said the Guidelines aim to develop SMCs into a sustainable culture and a people’s movement for
improving educational outcomes. Highlighting the role of initiatives like Vidyanjali in encouraging greater
public participation, he noted that India’s education system has historically thrived under community
leadership, and the new SMC Guidelines seek to revive that spirit by placing schools once again at the
centre of societal engagement.
Shri Ashish Sood, while addressing, stated that this programme is not merely about issuing new
guidelines, but represents a deep and transformative shift taking place in India’s education system. He
emphasized that if India is to achieve the goal of becoming a developed nation by 2047, the path must
pass through its classrooms.
Shri Sood described the newly launched SMC Guidelines 2026 as a crucial link in this transformative
journey. He explained that the earlier SMC framework, introduced after the Right to Education Act, was
largely limited to grant monitoring, infrastructure supervision, and administrative processes. However,
today’s challenges and expectations have significantly evolved. He pointed out that issues such as child
safety, mental health, Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN), digital transparency, learning
outcomes, and community participation have become critically important. The new SMC Guidelines have
been designed keeping these priorities in mind. The Minister emphasized that these guidelines transform
SMCs from mere monitoring bodies into true “school community governing institutions.” SMCs will now
actively contribute to holistic child development, academic quality, student welfare, safety, inclusivity,
digital governance, and transparency. Concluding his address, Shri Sood expressed confidence that the
SMC Guidelines 2026 will strengthen community participation, transparency, and quality education, and
play a vital role in building a developed India.Shri Gajendra Yadav, in his address, said that an active society’s involvement is essential for improving
children’s learning outcomes. He said that the School Management Committee (SMC) Guidelines
introduced under the leadership of Union Education Minister Shri Dharmendra Pradhan would help bridge
the gap between parents and schools by ensuring greater participation of local guardians in school
management and functioning.
The meeting was virtually attended by several State Education Ministers, including Shri Mahipal Dhanda,
School, Higher and Technical Education Minister, Haryana; Shri Dadaji Bhuse, School Education and
Marathi Language Minister, Maharashtra; Dr. Vanlalthlana, Minister for School Education, Higher and
Technical Education, Mizoram; Shri Kishor Barman, Higher Education Minister, Government of Tripura;
Shri Dhan Singh Rawat, Education Minister, Uttarakhand; and Shri Temjen Imna Along, Higher
Education Minister, Nagaland.Please click the link below to access the School Management Committee (SMC) Guidelines https://ds
el.education.gov.in/sites/default/files/guidelines/School_Management_Committee_Guidelines.pdf
LIVE I Launch of Guidelines for School Management Committee (SMC) at Vigyan
Bhawan, New Delhi https://t.co/DASuPT8HQ2
— Dharmendra Pradhan (@dpradhanbjp) May 6, 2026
*****
AK
(Release ID: 2258544) Visitor Counter : 367
Read this release in: Marathi , Odia , Malayalam