Pune, 16th June 2026: Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) is preparing to expand its Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model in education by allowing more organisations to operate municipal schools.
The move comes after five PMC schools were handed over to Akanksha Foundation, and civic leaders have indicated that similar proposals from other institutions will also be considered.
The decision has sparked debate within civic circles, with critics alleging that it could lead to the gradual privatisation of municipal education. However, PMC House Leader Ganesh Bidkar defended the initiative, saying the primary objective is to improve the quality of education available to students.
According to Bidkar, Akanksha Foundation has been managing PMC schools since 2007 and has consistently delivered better academic outcomes than many other municipal schools.
He said the organisation has invested significant resources in these schools over the years and spends considerably more per student than the amount PMC will contribute.
Under the agreement, PMC will provide ₹25,000 per student, while the foundation will continue to bear the remaining expenditure. Although the original proposal envisaged a nine-year partnership, the civic body now plans to limit the agreement to three years initially.
Bidkar said that if any other organisation is willing to operate schools at a lower cost while maintaining educational standards, PMC would be open to evaluating such proposals.
To oversee future decisions, PMC will constitute a committee chaired by the Mayor and comprising education experts. The committee will assess proposals from interested organisations and suggest ways to improve the quality of education across municipal schools.
While civic leaders maintain that the initiative is aimed at strengthening public education, discussions have intensified within the education sector over whether the policy could pave the way for greater private participation in municipal schools.
