The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has asked schools to promote digital payments for various financial activities as part of a wider initiative by the Department of Financial Services (DFS), Ministry of Finance.

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According to the board’s notification, the DFS has developed a Digital Payments Promotion Plan aimed at expanding access, increasing usage and encouraging safe digital payment practices across the country. The initiative covers the education ecosystem, including schools, students and parents.

CBSE has advised school heads and managers to facilitate digital payment options for activities such as fee collection, canteen and library payments. Schools can enable payment methods including UPI and RuPay cards.

For institutions located in areas with limited connectivity, CBSE has suggested options such as UPI Lite, LiteX and UPI123PAY. Schools may also use demonstrations and assisted payment models to help users become familiar with digital transactions.

The board has recommended onboarding the Bharat Bill Payment System (BBPS) for standardised and interoperable fee collection. Schools may also integrate ERP systems to manage recurring payments and other financial processes, including staff salary payments.

CBSE has further suggested incorporating digital payment awareness into teacher training programmes and school-level campaigns. Schools can also introduce financial literacy modules and conduct awareness drives for students and parents.

The board has encouraged schools to use campus events and parent-teacher interactions to promote awareness of safe and convenient digital payment practices. The initiative is intended to support wider adoption of digital payments within the education sector.