The Gujarat government has initiated the process to bifurcate the Ahmedabad City District Education Officer (DEO) office into two separate entities—Ahmedabad East and Ahmedabad West—a move aimed at improving school administration and addressing long-standing jurisdictional challenges.
To facilitate the division, the Commissioner of Schools has requested comprehensive data on all schools currently managed by the Ahmedabad City DEO, including school names and other relevant details.
The state government has also sanctioned two new Class-1 DEO posts for the proposed East and West offices, with financial approvals already in place.
At present, the Ahmedabad City DEO oversees more than 3,500 schools—including government, grant-in-aid, and private institutions at the primary, secondary, and higher secondary levels.
Meanwhile, Ahmedabad Rural DEO handles secondary and higher secondary schools in rural regions, while District Primary Education Officer (DPEO) manages primary schools in rural areas.
Objective of the Split
The bifurcation aims to:
- Enhance administrative efficiency
- Eliminate overlapping jurisdictions
- Provide focused attention to schools in East and West Ahmedabad
Currently, many schools located within Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) limits fall under the jurisdiction of the Rural DEO, creating confusion and delays in decision-making.
Proposed Jurisdiction Changes
For streamlined governance, the following changes have been suggested:
- All rural schools to remain under DPEO
- Schools in East Ahmedabad to fall under the new East DEO
- Schools in West Ahmedabad to come under the West DEO
Present Jurisdiction:
- East Ahmedabad schools up to the SP Ring Road fall under the City DEO
- West Ahmedabad schools up to the 132-ft Ring Road are under the City DEO
- Areas beyond the 132-ft Ring Road—such as Ghatlodia, Vastrapur village, Jivraj Park, Thaltej, Sarkhej, Bopal, and Gota—currently fall under the Ahmedabad Rural DEO
What’s Next?
With data collection underway, the establishment of two separate DEO offices is expected to streamline operations, improve staff and teacher management, and ensure faster resolution of school-level issues across the city.