Last verified: 13 October 2026. The incident below is CONFIRMED as reported by multiple news outlets on 12–13 October 2026. The underlying allegations are still being verified by police — treat all claims about who said what as reported allegations, not findings.
On Monday, 12 October 2026, a protest broke out outside a school in Maruti Nagar, Champapet, Hyderabad, after parents alleged that Class 10 students wearing Durga Mata malas were stopped from attending special classes. Senior police officials reached the spot to intervene, and the school management suspended a Telugu teacher, G Pushpalatha, in connection with the incident.
According to the parents, several Class 10 students had been wearing the Durga Mata mala as part of their Bhavani Deeksha observance during the Dussehra holidays. When they arrived at school for special classes — arranged during the vacation for students needing extra academic support — they were allegedly told to remove the malas or remain outside.
The parents staged a dharna outside the school, arguing that the students were being denied important academic sessions ahead of their Class 10 examinations. BJP leaders joined the protest, demanding that the students be allowed to attend without being asked to remove the malas. The situation escalated until senior police officials intervened.
The school management, meanwhile, suspended Telugu teacher Pushpalatha in connection with the incident. A complaint was also lodged with the police, and a case of hurting religious sentiments has been booked against those responsible. An IS Sadan police inspector told reporters that the facts were being verified and details would be disclosed only after the investigation is complete.
The management’s position, as conveyed to police and reported in the press, is that burqas and traditional attire were not permitted on the campus. It is not yet clear whether the school had a written dress-code rule covering religious observances, or how that rule was applied in this instance.
Here is the part that matters most for our readers: the school at the centre of this row is a private school in Champapet. That is how multiple independent news reports describe it. It is not one of the 33 Sainik Schools run by the Sainik Schools Society under the Ministry of Defence, and it does not admit students through the NTA’s All India Sainik Schools Entrance Examination (AISSEE).
This distinction matters because the words “Sainik School” appear in the names of several private institutions across India. The official Sainik Schools — Amaravathinagar, Korukonda, Kalikiri, Satara and the rest — are CBSE-affiliated, fully residential, and take in Class 6 and Class 9 students exclusively through AISSEE, followed by e-counselling and a medical fitness test. If a school calls itself a “Sainik School” but is not on the official Sainik Schools Society list and admits children through its own forms, it is not part of that system.
Three practical takeaways:
The police investigation is the deciding factor. As of today, the facts are officially under verification, and the outcome — whether the allegations against the staff are upheld or not — is not yet known. We will update this story when the investigation concludes.
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Which school is involved in the Champapet mala controversy?
It is a private school in Maruti Nagar, Champapet, Hyderabad, that carries “Sainik School” in its name. It is not one of the 33 Sainik Schools run by the Sainik Schools Society under the Ministry of Defence, which admit students only through the NTA’s AISSEE exam.
What happened at the school on 12 October 2026?
Parents allege that Class 10 students wearing Durga Mata malas during Bhavani Deeksha observance were told to remove the malas or stay out of special classes. The parents staged a dharna outside the school, police intervened, and the school management suspended Telugu teacher G Pushpalatha in connection with the incident.
What has the police said about the incident?
Police have booked a case of hurting religious sentiments based on the parents’ complaint. An IS Sadan police inspector said the facts are still being verified and details would be disclosed after the investigation is complete, so the final outcome is not yet known.
Does this incident affect admissions to official Sainik Schools?
No. Official Sainik Schools admit students through the All India Sainik Schools Entrance Examination (AISSEE) conducted by the NTA, and this incident involves a private institution. AISSEE 2027 preparations continue on schedule, with the exam tentatively set for 31 January 2027.
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