Delhi govt revokes fee-hike permission granted to top private school

The Delhi government has revoked the fee-hike permission granted to a top private school in Chanakyapuri, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said on Thursday.

"The fee hike permitted to the school is being revoked. It was found that certain facts were ignored while granting permission. The school increased its fees by almost 75 per cent, which is unacceptable. Therefore, we are revoking the order," Sisodia told a press conference.

Earlier in the day, a group of parents of the students of the school met Sisodia, who is also the education minister of Delhi.

There was no immediate response from the school authorities.

For latest on coronavirus outbreak, click here

"Under the system called GAAP, it is necessary to follow a special process of accounting and audit, but the school did not do it. Also, there was no need to increase the fees as the school already had a surplus amount, which they gained during 2017-18, due to which its proposal to increase the fees was rejected by the Delhi government.

"During the same year, we directed the school to pay the teachers in accordance with the 7th Pay Commission recommendations from the surplus amount and not to put the burden on the students. But the school did not comply with the order. A school gets permission for establishment only if it has a three-month salary fixed deposit for the staff. Therefore, now the demand to increase the fees is unreasonable because that amount has already been deposited as a fixed deposit since the inception of the school," Sisodia said.

He said the Anil Dev Singh Committee constituted by the Delhi government had recommended that the fees arbitrarily increased by private schools from 2010 to 2012 should be refunded.

"Now the school wants to recover this amount from the students by showing it under the school expenses. Whereas, the previously overcharged amount cannot be allowed to be shown as an expense.

"The school has not followed the Supreme Court order regarding depositing the development fund in a separate account. For all of these reasons, it cannot be allowed to increase the fees. Also, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, no school is allowed to collect any amount other than the tuition fee," Sisodia said.

He reiterated that no school is allowed to hike fees during the Covid-19 pandemic and that action will be taken against the defaulters.

"We have already made it clear that no school is allowed to hike fees during the Covid-19 pandemic. Schools are only allowed to charge tuition fees and no extra fees will be allowed to be levied till the schools reopen completely. Strict action will be taken against the defaulters," the deputy chief minister said.