AP SMC Elections 2026: Notification, Schedule, Eligibility, Composition and Guidelines: The Government of Andhra Pradesh, through Samagra Shiksha, has issued the notification dated 15 September 2026 for reconstitution of School Management Committees (SMCs) for the Academic Year 2026–27.
The AP SMC Elections 2026 notification schedules the SMC elections for 29 September 2026 and sets out the election timetable, SMC composition, eligibility and representation norms, voting procedure, quorum, tenure and responsibilities. The accompanying SMC Guidelines 2026 FAQs clarify key questions including the 75% parent/guardian representation, 50% women representation, one-parent-per-child participation rule, voting procedure and committee size based on student enrolment.
![AP SMC Elections 2026: Notification, Schedule, Eligibility, Composition and Guidelines [Released]](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf7eHBxwMhuRE7C9_yGBcYeXdxlTzadNA_kdPMWWOLtviOew4OG5tFmtpPvYHqswiQTYTVNNN8up41V7XO-dGvGxHHDtlq6ilQKXQ_0qjosPO8yqECw7wkHpIf0I2pqE-3oI6Kc92_mxkC_A4BwffkzLQE28rz7yr24I-pcDMI06jC3X5jYZ_47NpVMp4/s1600/AP%20SMC%20Elections%202026%20Notification,%20Schedule,%20Eligibility,%20Composition%20and%20Guidelines%20%5BReleased%5D.webp "AP SMC Elections 2026: Notification, Schedule, Eligibility, Composition and Guidelines [Released]")
AP SMC Elections 2026 – Overview
| Issuing Authority | State Project Director, Samagra Shiksha, Andhra Pradesh |
| Notification Date | 15 September 2026 |
| Academic Year | 2026–27 |
| SMC Election Date | 29 September 2026 |
| Parent/Guardian Share | 75% of SMC strength |
| Women Representation | 50% of SMC strength |
| Election Quorum | 50% of eligible parents/guardians present |
| SMC Tenure | 2 years |
Important SMC Election Schedule 2026
The notification provides the following schedule for voter-list publication, objections, elections, selection of office-bearers, oath-taking and the first SMC meeting.
| Date | Activity | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 15.09.2026 (Tuesday) | Issue of Notification for conducting elections for reconstitution of School Management Committee members, Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson | 10:00 AM |
| 18.09.2026 (Friday) | Display of Voter List for conduct of elections on the Notice Board | 2:00 PM |
| 25.09.2026 (Friday) | Calling for objections on the Voter List and redressal of grievances, if any | 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM |
| 25.09.2026 (Friday) | Finalization of Voter List for conduct of elections and display of the finalized list on the Notice Board | 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM |
| 29.09.2026 (Tuesday) | Conduct of elections and finalization of reconstitution of School Management Committee Members | 7:00 AM to 1:00 PM |
| 29.09.2026 (Tuesday) | Conduct of election of Chairperson & Vice-Chairperson by the School Management Committee Members | 1:30 PM |
| 29.09.2026 (Tuesday) | Oath-taking by School Management Committee Members, Chairperson & Vice-Chairperson | 2:00 PM |
| 29.09.2026 (Tuesday) | Conduct of the First School Management Committee Meeting | 3:00 PM to 3:30 PM |
Key AP SMC Elections 2026 Rules at a Glance
- One SMC: The 2026 framework envisages a single SMC in each school, including schools of different management types; private schools may also be encouraged to form SMCs.
- 75% parents/guardians: Seventy-five per cent of SMC strength shall be from parents or guardians of children.
- 50% women: Fifty per cent of SMC strength shall be women.
- One parent/guardian per child: Only one eligible parent or guardian of each enrolled child whose name is registered in the admission form may participate.
- Voting: Where candidates exceed available seats, voting is ordinarily through raising hands or voice vote; secret ballot may be adopted in case of dispute or unresolved contention.
- Two-year tenure: SMC members have a two-year term, subject to the conditions in the guidelines.
- Monthly meetings: The Member-Secretary is required to conduct SMC meetings at least once a month and ensure a minimum 50% quorum.
AP SMC Elections 2026 Full Notification
The following section converts the English content of the uploaded Andhra Pradesh SMC election notification into structured HTML while retaining the document's wording, sequence and substantive details.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE STATE PROJECT DIRECTOR, SAMAGRA SHIKSHA, ANDHRA PRADESH.
Present: Sri B.Srinivasa Rao, I.A.S.
File.No.-SS-16021/54/2021-CMO SEC, Dated:15-09-2026
Sub: APSS- CMO Section- Conduct of Elections for reconstitution of School Management Committees for the Academic Year 2026-27 – Election Schedule – Guidelines– Issued.
Read
1. D.O. Letter No.1-1/2025-SS.17- Part (1) Dt.02.05.2026 of Joint Secretary (Coord & Media), DoSE&L, MoE, GoI.
2. D. O. No. 1-1/2O25-SS.17, 11th May 2026, Launching Guidelines 06.05.2026. DoSE&L, MoE, GoI.
3. D. O. No. 1-1/2O25-SS.17, DoSE&L, MoE, GoI, 15th May 2026.
4. SMC Guidelines English and Telugu Versions issued by GoI.
5. File.No.-SS-16021/54/2021-CMO SEC, Dated:28-05-2026, SS, AP.
6. Lr.Rc.No.SSA-16021/54/2023- SEC-SSA, dated: 16-07-2026.
7. Memo No.977203/Prog.II/A2/2019-11, Dated:11.09.2026.
Order:
All the District Educational Officers and Additional Project Coordinators in the state are hereby informed that the Department of School Education and Literacy (DoSE&L), Ministry of Education, Government of India have issued “Guidelines for SMCs – 2026” - guidelines relating to the constitution and functioning of School Management Committees, including the composition of SMCs.
Accordingly, the Government of Andhra Pradesh have issued directions for Reconstitution of School Management Committees in the state duly conducting elections on 29.09.2026 as per the schedule.
Vide ref 7th cited, the Government have issued a MEMO for reconstitution of School Management Committees along with the following schedule.
| Date | Activity to be conducted | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 15.09.2026 (Tuesday) | Issue of Notification for conducting elections for reconstitution of School Management Committee members, Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson | 10:00 AM |
| 18.09.2026 (Friday) | Display of Voter List for conduct of elections on the Notice Board | 2:00 PM |
| 25.09.2026 (Friday) | Calling for objections on the Voter List and redressal of grievances, if any | 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM |
| 25.09.2026 (Friday) | Finalization of Voter List for conduct of elections and display of the finalized list on the Notice Board | 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM |
| 29.09.2026 (Tuesday) | Conduct of elections and finalization of reconstitution of School Management Committee Members | 7:00 AM to 1:00 PM |
| 29.09.2026 (Tuesday) | Conduct of election of Chairperson & Vice-Chairperson by the School Management Committee Members | 1:30 PM |
| 29.09.2026 (Tuesday) | Oath-taking by School Management Committee Members, Chairperson & Vice-Chairperson | 2:00 PM |
| 29.09.2026 (Tuesday) | Conduct of the First School Management Committee Meeting | 3:00 PM to 3:30 PM |
All the District Educational Officers and Additional Project Coordinators in the state are directed to take necessary action in conducting Elections in all schools to reconstitute the School Management Committees in their respective districts and report the action taken.
Vide ref 3rd cited, the Government of India informed that the Guidelines envisage a single SMC in each school of all Management types of Government/Government Aided/Private etc. Private schools may also be encouraged to form SMCs for better governance and transparency.
The key issues as per the “Guidelines for SMCs – 2026”, such as the guidelines with regard to the Composition, Representation, Norms for Selection of SMC members, suggested election process, tenure and roles are given below.
Every school shall constitute an SMC within one month from the commencement of the Academic Year.
The guidelines also stipulate that the term of SMC members shall be two years and that the process for constitution of new SMCs should preferably be initiated before completion of the tenure of the existing committees to avoid any discontinuity in school governance.
1. Composition of SMCs:
Each SMC shall consist of the following members:
| Sl. No. | Member | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Elected Member from Parents/Guardian | Chairperson |
| 2 | Elected Member from Parents/Guardian | Vice Chairperson |
| 3 | Parents/Guardian from all grades of children studying in school | Member |
| 4 | Elected members of the local authority | Member |
| 5 | Teachers from the school | Member |
| 6 | Local educationists/Subject Experts/academicians/senior students/alumni of the school/AWW/ASHA/ANM | Member |
| 7 | Principal/Headmaster/School In-charge | Member-Secretary |
2. AP SMC Elections 2026 Eligibility and Representation:
The guidelines shall serve as a reference framework for States/ Union Territories (UTs) to strengthen school-level governance mechanisms and to harmonize local rules and procedures with the national vision for inclusive, participatory, and accountable education.
- Every School should constitute a SMC, within one month of starting of the academic year.
- States and UTs are advised to have SMC in every school including secondary schools (up to Grade 12) in place of School Management Development Committee (SMDC).
- It will include officials, parents/guardians of students, representative of local authorities, academicians, subject experts, alumni of the school and representatives of disadvantaged groups.
- The number of members of the committee may be decided based on the enrolment of the children.
| Enrolment Range | Approx. No. of Members |
|---|---|
| Up to 100 students | 12–15 members |
| 100–500 students | 15–20 members |
| Above 500 students | 20–25 members |
2.1 Norms for Selection of SMC members:
- Seventy-five per cent (75%) of the strength of the SMC shall be from amongst parents or guardians of children.
- The remaining twenty-five per cent (25%) of the strength of the SMC shall be from amongst the following persons:
- One third (1/3) members from amongst the elected members of the local authority, to be decided by the local authority;
- One third (1/3) members from amongst teachers from the school, to be decided by the teachers of the school;
- Remaining one-third (1/3) of the members shall be selected from among local educationists, subject experts, academicians, senior students, alumni of the school, and frontline community workers such as Anganwadi Workers (AWWs), Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) and Auxiliary Nurse Midwife (ANM) serving the neighbourhood areas of the school. These members will be chosen by the parent representatives of the Committee.
(“Local authority” means a Municipal Corporation or Municipal Council or Zila Parishad or Nagar Panchayat or Panchayat, by whatever name called, and includes such other authority or body having administrative control over the school or empowered by or under any law for the time being in force to function as a local authority in any city, town or village).
Note: Fifty per cent (50%) of the strength of the SMC shall be women. Proportionate representation shall be given to the parents or guardians of children belonging to Socio Economically Disadvantaged Groups (SEDGs) i.e. SC/ST/OBC etc. and Children with Special Need (CwSN).
3. AP SMC Elections 2026 Election Process:
The election of parent or guardian members of the SMC shall be conducted in a democratic, transparent, and inclusive manner to ensure meaningful community participation in school governance. States/UTs may prescribe their own detailed procedure for election and nomination of SMC members in accordance with their respective rules or order. The election procedure detailed below is indicative:
- At the start of the academic year, the head of the school shall initiate the election process by issuing a notice to all parents and guardians of enrolled children, clearly outlining the schedule and procedure for conducting elections in accordance with the norms prescribed by the respective State or Union Territory.
- Only one parent or guardian of each enrolled child (whose name is already registered in the admission form) shall be eligible to participate in the election.
- Parents or guardians may nominate themselves or other eligible and willing parents/guardians from within the school community. Adequate representation of SEDGs and parents of CwSN, including 50% representation of women, and representation across all classes within the school should be ensured.
- In cases where the number of candidates exceeds the prescribed number of seats, the election shall be conducted through voting by raising hands or voice vote; however, in the event of any dispute or unresolved contention, voting by secret ballot may be adopted to ensure fairness.
- A minimum quorum of 50% of parents or guardians of enrolled children must be present at the time of voting.
- The election process may be supervised by a designated education officer or authorized representative to maintain impartiality and transparency.
- Upon completion of the process, the names of all elected parent or guardian members shall be officially recorded by the head of the institution.
After formation of SMC, the first meeting of the newly constituted committee may be held on the next working day or latest within one week. Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson shall be elected in the first meeting.
4. AP SMC Elections 2026 Tenure:
The term of the members of the SMC shall be for two years. The SMC may continue beyond the term of two years till the new committee has been reconstituted. The process of constitution of the new committee should preferably be started before the completion of the tenure of SMC so that there is no discontinuity of SMC. A member can be re-nominated for another term, but a member cannot remain in office for more than two consecutive terms except member-secretary.
Tenure of SMC members shall be terminated in following conditions:
- If the child of the Parent/Guardian member leaves the school.
- Detention/Conviction of a member whether on a criminal charge or otherwise.
- Migration of the member from the block/district.
- Sudden Death of member.
- If a member is absent in four consecutive meetings without any information.
Any casual vacancy created due to any of the reasons stated above shall be filled as per the procedure prescribed by the implementing authority/State Government.
5.AP SMC Elections 2026 Roles and Responsibilities:
Duties of Member-Secretary are as under:
- To ensure the constitution of SMC within one month of starting of the academic year.
- To organize timely Annual General body meeting for selection of members through election among Parents/Guardian of children studying in schools. (It may be ensured that 50% of the parents/ guardians are present during election)
- To display the complete details of newly formed SMC members at prominent places in school buildings within one week of formation.
- Details of Parents/Members should include Name, Designation, Contact Number, Email Id etc. In case of Parent/Guardian, details of Child Name and his/her Class should also be mentioned with the name of Parent/Guardian.
- To conduct SMC meetings at-least once a month. To ensure the quorum of the SMC (minimum 50%) during the meeting.
- To prepare agenda items to be discussed in the SMC meetings.
- To maintain a register as per norms for recording of SMC details, information related to meeting notices, members present in the meeting, agenda and minutes of the meeting etc.
- To record minutes and decisions of the meeting properly and make available to all the members of the committee and public.
- To ensure capacity building training of SMC members within one month of the constitution of SMC. Further as per the requirement training/workshops for SMC members may be organized on a periodic basis.
- To display the School Report Card available at Unified District Information System for Education Plus (UDISE+) portal at prominent places in school and make it available to the SMC members in the first meeting.
- To ensure compliance of orders/directions issued by District/ Block level officers regarding SMC meetings, composition, election for selection of members from parents/guardians, inclusion of nominated members in SMC etc.
- To carry out any other responsibility assigned by the Head of School or District Education Officer or any higher authority.
Frequently Asked Questions along with answers as per the SMC Guidelines 2026 are also enclosed.
All the RJDSEs, District Educational Officers and the Additional Project Coordinators in the state are requested to take necessary action in conducting Elections in all schools to reconstitute the School Management Committees in their respective districts duly following the guidelines and report the action taken.
Frequently Asked Questions on SMC Elections 2026
The following FAQ table is converted from the English FAQ pages accompanying the SMC Guidelines 2026.
| Sl.No. | Question | Answer |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | What is SMC? | SMC stands for School Management Committee. It is a committee that facilitates participatory and community- based management of the school. |
| 2 | Why is an SMC formed? | It is formed to strengthen community participation, improve school functioning and support quality education. |
| 3 | What is the main objective of SMC? | The main objective is to ensure that the school functions effectively in the best interests of children. |
| 4 | Who are the major stakeholders in SMC? | Parents/guardians, teachers, the Head of School and other community representatives are important stakeholders. |
| 5 | Does SMC replace the Head Teacher? | No. SMC does not replace the Head Teacher. It supports participatory school governance. |
| 6 | Which guidelines govern SMC constitution in 2026? | The School Management Committee Guidelines, 2026 issued by the Ministry of Education, Government of India. |
| 7 | When were the GoI SMC Guidelines 2026 launched? | They were launched by the Ministry of Education on 06.05.2026. |
| 8 | Has Andhra Pradesh communicated the 2026 guidelines? | Yes. Andhra Pradesh Samagra Shiksha issued File No. SS- 16021/54/2021-CMO SEC, dated 28.05.2026, communicating the guidelines to the field authorities. (AP Teachers) |
| 9 | Do the 2026 guidelines supersede earlier SMC/SMDC instructions? | Yes. The GoI guidelines state that they are issued in supersession of earlier guidelines and instructions relating to SMCs. (AP Teachers) |
| 10 | Is an SMC required in every school? | The guidelines provide that every school should constitute an SMC within one month of commencement of the academic year. |
| 11 | Does the new framework cover | Yes. States/UTs are advised to have an SMC in schools including secondary schools up to Grade 12, in place of |
| 12 | Is there a separate SMDC under the new framework? | The 2026 framework envisages one SMC instead of a separate SMDC, providing a unified school-level committee. |
| 13 | What is the basic principle of SMC elections? | The election should be democratic, transparent and inclusive, ensuring meaningful participation of parents/guardians. |
| 14 | What percentage of SMC members should be parents/guardians? | 75% of the SMC strength shall be from parents/guardians of children studying in the school. (AP Teachers) |
| 15 | Who constitutes the remaining 25%? | The remaining 25% comprises representatives from the local authority, teachers, and local educationists/subject experts/academicians/senior students /alumni/frontline community workers, as prescribed in the guidelines. |
| 16 | How are the three categories within the remaining 25% arranged? | One-third is from elected local-authority members, one-third from teachers, and the remaining one-third from educationists/experts/academicians/senior students/alumni/AWW/ASHA/ANM etc. |
| 17 | Who selects the local authority representatives? | They are selected from among elected members of the local authority, as decided by the local authority. |
| 18 | Who selects teacher representatives? | Teachers of the school select their representatives. |
| 19 | Who selects the community/academic representatives? | These members are selected by the parent representatives of the SMC from the categories specified in the guidelines. |
| 20 | Is representation from all classes required? | Yes. Representation across all classes/grades in the school should be ensured as far as possible. |
| 21 | Should SEDG parents be represented? | Yes. Proportionate representation should be given to parents/guardians of children belonging to Socio- Economically Disadvantaged Groups (SEDGs), including SC/ST/OBC etc. |
| 22 | Should parents of Children with Special | Yes. Adequate representation of parents/guardians of |
| 23 | What is the requirement regarding women members? | 50% of the strength of the SMC shall be women. (AP Teachers) |
| 24 | Who is eligible to participate in the SMC election? | One parent or guardian of each enrolled child, whose name is already registered in the admission form, is eligible to participate. |
| 25 | Can both father and mother of the same child vote separately? | No. Only one parent/guardian per enrolled child is eligible to participate. |
| 26 | Can a guardian participate instead of a parent? | Yes, where the person is the eligible guardian of the enrolled child and is registered as such in the admission record. |
| 27 | Can a parent whose name is not in the admission record participate? | The GoI guideline specifically refers to a parent/guardian whose name is already registered in the admission form. Hence, the school should verify the admission record before permitting participation. |
| 28 | Can parents nominate themselves? | Yes. An eligible and willing parent/guardian may nominate himself/herself. |
| 29 | Can one parent nominate another parent? | Yes. Parents/guardians may nominate other eligible and willing parents/guardians from the school community. |
| 30 | Can a parent from another school contest? | No. The election is among eligible parents/guardians of children enrolled in that school. |
| 31 | What should be considered while selecting parent members? | The school should ensure representation of women, SEDGs, parents of CwSN and different classes/grades. |
| 32 | Is an election required when candidates are within the available seats? | The detailed procedure is to follow the applicable State/UT procedure. The GoI guideline specifically prescribes voting where the number of candidates exceeds the prescribed number of seats. |
| 33 | What happens when candidates exceed the available seats? | Voting shall ordinarily be conducted by raising hands or voice vote. |
| 34 | Can secret ballot be | Yes. Where there is a dispute or unresolved contention, |
| 35 | Is secret ballot compulsory in every SMC election? | No. The indicative GoI procedure provides raising hands/voice vote and permits secret ballot in cases of dispute or unresolved contention. |
| 36 | What is the minimum quorum for the election? | At least 50% of parents/guardians of enrolled children must be present at the time of voting. |
| 37 | Is election quorum the same as SMC meeting quorum? | No. Election participation requires 50% of eligible parents/guardians present. For subsequent SMC meetings, the quorum is 50% of SMC members. |
| 38 | What should the Head of School do before the election? | The Head of School should initiate the process and issue a notice to parents/guardians specifying the election schedule and procedure. |
| 39 | Who should be informed about the election? | All eligible parents/guardians of enrolled children should be informed. |
| 40 | Can an Education Officer supervise the election? | Yes. The election may be supervised by a designated Education Officer or authorised representative to maintain impartiality and transparency. |
| 41 | Who officially records elected parent members? | After completion of the election, the Head of the Institution/School officially records the names of elected parent/guardian members. |
| 42 | Should election records be maintained? | Yes. The school should maintain appropriate records/registers relating to notices, participation, members, meetings and minutes as prescribed. |
| 43 | Should details of the newly constituted SMC be displayed? | Yes. The complete details of newly formed SMC members should be displayed prominently in the school within one week of formation. |
| 44 | How is the number of committee members determined? | The number of committee members may be decided based on the enrollment of children. 1. When the enrollment is up to 100 students, the committee may have 12–15 members. 2. When the enrollment is between 100 and 500 students, the committee may have 15–20 members. 3. When the enrollment is above 500 students, the committee may have 20–25 members. |
