THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK
Daltonganj, February 8: The Palamu district administration has provided major relief to students seeking admission to the CM School of Excellence (CM SoE). District Collector (DC) Sameera S has clarified that PEN (Permanent Education Number) and APAR (Annual Performance Appraisal Report) are not mandatory for applying for the CM SoE entrance test.
The decision comes at a crucial time when parents are anxious about securing admission for their children in quality schools.
PEN and APAR Caused Confusion Among Private School Students
The last date to apply for the CM SoE entrance test is February 16. Applications are primarily online, though offline applications are permitted after informing the District Education Officer.
Earlier, the requirement of PEN and APAR in the application form had created confusion and stress among students and parents, especially those from private schools that do not have a UDISE (Unified District Information System for Education Plus) number.
Private school representatives said obtaining a UDISE number involves strict conditions. One school management official pointed out that in urban areas, schools need 40 decimals of land up to Class 5, which is extremely expensive.
As a result, many students feared they were not even eligible to apply for the entrance test.
Many Schools Yet to Generate PEN and APAR
State Coordinator of the Private Schools Association, Chandra Bhushan Sinha, said a large number of students in both government and private schools still do not have PEN and APAR.
Administrative sources also revealed that several government schools, reputed private schools, and grant-in-aid institutions are lagging behind in generating these records.
Admissions to CM SoE are conducted for Classes 6 to 9 and Class 11 only. There is no admission in Classes 10 and 12. The admissions are for the 2026–27 academic session.
There are three CM SoE schools in Palamu district: Zila School, KG Girls School, and KGBAV Chainpur.
DC Palamu Clarifies: PEN and APAR Not Mandatory
In a major clarification, DC Palamu Sameera S directed education officials to officially notify that students can apply for the CM SoE entrance test without PEN and APAR.
Speaking to The Jharkhand Story Network, the DC said,
“PEN and APAR are not mandatory for this entrance test. Students can easily apply without them. No School of Excellence can demand PEN or APAR.”
Welcoming the decision, State Coordinator Bhushan said the move would allow more students to compete fairly and encourage healthy competition.