NOC – No Objection Certificate – How to get NOC for your School

The way a schools acquires the CBSE Affiliation by following Two Mandatory Steps

1. Get Recognition from the State Board – Usually the entire process is online, and this basically means the school is qualified to operate as a school.
2. Get NOC from the State – The No Objection Certificate is an essential document which is required if a school is looking to get affiliated with any other board like CBSE, CISCE or IB Board. For CBSE the law changed in Feb 2025, (LINK) 

What is NOC

No Objection Certificate” means a letter issued by the Education Department of the State/Union Territory in respect of a School situated in the State/Union Territory, certifying the State/UT has No Objection for Affiliation of the school to the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) or for any other board.

Is NOC MANDATORY

School Education is a State Subject (like Police, Land Revenue etc), hence any school operating will have to follow the law of the land i.e State. To ensure State Govt objectives, respect to the local culture and traditions, Holidays, RTE and other state mandate are properly carried out the state govt gives a NOC to the Board (CBSE/ CISCE/ IB). It basically states that the Govt has no objection in  case the school adopts another board. The provision of the NOC was always there but was repealed for for couple of years in between. In January 2017, CBSE brought back the No Objection Certificate requirement for schools to apply for CBSE Affiliation. Getting an NOC is a time taking procedure also it could involve complexity owning to red tape. But with the new rule, it has become better, so NOC is still mandatory but now State Government cant hold on to the permission for ever.

This is what a usual NOC looks like, I am taking a publicly displayed NOC on the website of the school by the OOTY School SF.No 992/1B3A, Onnipalayampudhur, Karamadai To Airport Road, Coimbatore – 641 019. (https://www.theootypublicschool.com/noc/) or like this NOC for Sri Sai Seva Charitable Trust, Navsari, Gujarat

Now, as mentioned above for CBSE, the law changed and this is the amendment;

Here is the extracted text from the image:

Existing Rule

Clause 2.3.5: NO OBJECTION FROM THE RESPECTIVE STATE GOVERNMENT

The Schools mentioned under clauses 2.1.5, 2.1.6, 2.1.7, and 2.1.8, seeking affiliation with the Board shall submit formal prior “No Objection Certificate” to the effect that State Government has no objection to the affiliation of the School with CBSE.

No Objection Certificate once issued to any school will be considered at par even if it prescribes a specific period and/or level unless it is withdrawn.

Amended Rule

Clause 2.3.5: NO OBJECTION FROM THE RESPECTIVE STATE GOVERNMENT

The Schools mentioned under clauses 2.1.5, 2.1.6, 2.1.7, and 2.1.8, seeking affiliation with the Board are henceforth, will be permitted to apply on SARAS Panel for affiliation under various categories with or without NOC (No Objection Certificate) from the forthcoming sessions w.e.f. the session 2026-27.

In case, the school applies for affiliation without NOC, then the Board shall write to the concerned State Government to obtain their comments, if any, on the application of the school for affiliation with the Board.

The department may furnish its comments regarding the said application, if any, at the link provided in the letter within 30 days of issue of the said letter. In case no comments are received within the said period of 30 days, a reminder letter will be sent to the concerned State Education Department to raise their objection, if any, within another 15 days, failing which, it shall be deemed that the State Government does not have any objection on the grant of affiliation to the school by the Board, and the application of the school will be considered for grant of affiliation, if it otherwise fulfills the conditions for grant of Affiliation as per the Affiliation Bye-Laws-2018 of the Board.

This is a huge relief to all the schools.

Kindly Note: There are certain states which give NOC in the state official language, CBSE always points out as deficiency, kindly make sure that you get a true translation from the concerned department.   

Different states have different ways of issuing NOC, let us try to search and find the procedures from different states.

1. Madhya Pradesh (MP)
   • NOC in Madhya Pradesh is a complete Online Procedure for applying to Affiliation to CBSE / ICSE or IB Board. You have to apply by January. The website for Directorate of Public Instruction has all the procedures and manual listed out
   • Here is the link for the DPI 
2. Chattisgarh
   • NOC in Chhattisgarh is still an offline procedure for school applying to Affiliation to CBSE / ICSE or IB Board. The file has to be moved from the DEO’s office. Once submitted the DEO appoints individual or a team to come for an inspection and subsequently the file is moved to the Secretariat for further signature
3. Odisha
   • The Government of Odisha has create a website to help Private Schools with the process of recognition and affiliation, the website is called The Private School Management Portal. Though one has to keep a close eye on the dates during which the applications can be made through this portal. In the year 2019, the dates where July 30 – September 15 as per the this Times of India news
4. Kerala
   • Government of Kerala proposes to have a system by which the recognition and NOC for affiliation is combined. Here is the abstract of the order issued by the government and here is the form for recognition. 
5. Punjab 
   1. The Online Portal through which a school has to apply for NOC Epunjabschool.gov.in
   2. The School will make online request on Prescribed performa to the concerned DEO.
      2. Concerned DEO will order the inspection committee to inspect the school within 24 hours’ The inspection Committee members are
      l. Deputy DEO ll. One Principal of the school in same Block lll. One Headmaster of the school in same block
      3. The Committee will inspect the school and submit the report to the DEO office online within 7 days
      4. Concerned dealing assistant’ Superintendent will jointly send the case online to the DEO within 24 hours.
      5. DEO will forward the case with his recommendation to the DPI office within 24 Hours .
      6. ConcernedAssistant,Superintendent’ DCFA and Assistant Director will Jointly check the case and send to DPI within 24 hours ‘
      7. DPI will approve the case and send it to Education-3 Branch On-line within 24 hours.
      8. Senior Assistant. and Superintendent
      of education-3 branch will check the case and will recommend to the special SecretarY within 24 hours
      online.
      9. Special Secretary School Education
      will send to SecretarY school education for aPProval within 24 hours online.
      10.Secretary school education will send to Secretary School Education for approval online within 24 hours
      11. Hon’ble Education Minister Will approve the case and send to the Secretary Education within 24 hours
      12. After approving the case by the Secretary, the sanction will be system within 24 hours and will go to:
      (a) Applicant , (b) DPI office, (c) DEO, (d) Assistant Director – Total time duration for NOC case 408 Hours ( 17 days ) .
6. Goa
   • Website : Goaonline.gov.in
   • Procedure to Apply
     1. Register on goaonline.gov.in and login. Option Number # 10
     2. Fill in the application form.
     3. Attach relevant documents.
     4. Submit the application and note the acknowledgement no. for application tracking.
     5. Submit the hard copies of attached plans through courier/hand delivery to concern office for processing your application.
7. Haryana
   • Website: Private School Portal by the Department of School Education 
   • The website is also useful for Recognition of Private School as well
8. Jharkhand
   • The procedure to obtain NOC is still offline at Jharkhand, here is the form which the schools have to fill and submit with the DEO (I believe)
   • The Schools should follow the website – Department of School Education & Literacy to see about the notification and changes
9. Tamil Nadu
   • The template to apply for NOC is available at website https://www.tn.gov.in. The School has to fill the form and submit it with DEO and in the state education secretariat
   • Here is the link to the form
10. Karnataka
    • Website: http://www.schooleducation.kar.nic.in
    • Schools seeking affiliation to the Council for its examinations will have to obtain a certificate of Recommendation / No Objection Certificate from the State Department of Education concerned. Affiliation is processed on the basis of the inspection report submitted to the Council by the inspecting Officer deputed by the Chief executive and Secretary. Merely the issue of an N.O.C is not the sole criterion or sufficient for grant of affiliation .
      Schools applying to State Government for issue of a No Objection Certificate for affiliation to the Council may await the processing of the N.O.C for three months, under intimation to the Council . The Council, after the expiry of three months may consider and initiate steps for grant of provisional affiliation under intimation to the State Government concerned the CE and Secretary considers such action is warranted
    • The Form for applying for the NOC in Karnataka
11. Uttar Pradesh
    • Website for application of NOC – Directorate of School Education
12. West Bengal
    • Application for NOC – Website for Department of School Education
13. Meghalaya
    • The process is still offline, one has to approach the local DEO office to get more information
14. Mizoram
    • The process is still offline, one has to approach the local DEO office to get more information
15. Manipur
    • The process is still offline, one has to approach the local DEO office to get more information
16. Aasam
    • The process is still offline, one has to approach the local SEBA / DEO office to get more information
17. Arunachal Pradesh
    • The process is still offline, one has to approach the local SEBA / DEO office to get more information
18. Nagaland
    • The process is still offline, one has to approach the local SEBA / DEO office to get more information
19. Uttarakhand
    • The website doesn’t have a link specifically for NOC, WEBSITE
20. Rajasthan
    • There are couple of websites one has to check
      • http://rte.raj.nic.in
      • http://rajpsp.nic.in/
      • Private School Portal Section at https://education.rajasthan.gov.in

21. Andhra Pradesh / Telangana – Website for NOC
On the website, check for  Schools Corner -> Private School Registration-> New User/Existing User -> NOC for CBSE/NOC for ICSE

[Contact_Form_Builder id=”2″]