Close X
Friday, November 29, 2024
ADVT 
India

80 private schools to refund excess fees to parents: Delhi HC panel

Darpan News Desk IANS, 09 May, 2014 11:54 AM
    A panel set up by the Delhi High Court Friday recommended that 80 private schools have to refund the excess fees they charged in 2009 but did not pay salaries to their staff as per the Sixth Pay Commission's recommendations.
     
    A three-member committee headed by Rajasthan High Court's former chief justice Anil Dev Singh, set up in 2011, examined the financial records of 150 schools on a random basis out of total 1,172 schools and submitted its fifth interim report before the court. 
     
    With this report, the committee has so far examined the financial records of 755 private schools in the city. 
     
    Taking into note the fifth interim report of the committee, a division bench of Justice B.D. Ahmed and Justice Sidharth Mridul asked the Delhi government to look if the unaided private schools have implemented recommendations of the panel, which had asked them to return the "excess amount" to parents with nine percent interest.
     
    The bench asked counsel of Delhi government to check the status of those school who had been asked to pay back excess amount to parents and posted the matter for Aug 1.
     
    Advocate Ashok Aggarwal, appearing for the NGO Social Jurists which filed the case, told the bench that the more than 350 schools not implementing the recommendations of the committee to pay back the excess fee and also hiked the fee.
     
    In the report, the committee said that many schools "unjustly" increased fees and recommended that all of them refund the same with 9 percent interest to the parents. 
     
    According to the report, the committee has said that 80 out of 150 schools found the fee hike to be "unjustified, either partially or fully", and hence recommended the refund of excess fee with interest.
     
    Out of 150 schools, 65 schools' records were found "unreliable" and committee recommended "special inspection" in addition to refund of fee. 
     
    After the implementation of the Sixth Pay Commission, the schools increased the fees, citing additional financial burden due to increased salaries of teachers.
     
    In August 2011, the court gave directions for setting up a three-member committee to audit the accounts of each of the schools to ascertain if the fee hike by them was required.
     
    This order came on a petition filed by Social Jurists, through advocate Agarwal, which alleged that schools had hiked the fees "unreasonably" but they failed to pay the salaries of the teaching and non-teaching staff as per the pay panel recommendations.

    MORE India ARTICLES

    CBI to probe Saradha scam, other ponzi schemes in Bengal, Odisha: SC

    CBI to probe Saradha scam, other ponzi schemes in Bengal, Odisha: SC
    In a setback to West Bengal government, the Supreme Court Friday handed over investigation into Saradha chit fund scam to the CBI saying that it would hold further investigation in all the cases including those where a charge sheet has been filed.

    CBI to probe Saradha scam, other ponzi schemes in Bengal, Odisha: SC

    Breaking Brahmin Monopoly: Hindu Temple To Have Women, Lower-Caste Priests

    Breaking Brahmin Monopoly: Hindu Temple To Have Women, Lower-Caste Priests
    Here's another traditional male bastion set to crumble. With a Supreme Court prod, the renowned 900-year old Vitthoba Temple in the pilgrim town of Pandharpur will script religious history when it appoints its first women priests as also priests from the backward classes as part of an inclusive mission.

    Breaking Brahmin Monopoly: Hindu Temple To Have Women, Lower-Caste Priests

    Sonia Gandhi's plane makes emergency landing

    Sonia Gandhi's plane makes emergency landing
    A private plane flying Congress president Sonia Gandhi was forced to make an emergency landing in Agra due to gusty winds and bad weather in New Delhi late Thursday, an official said Friday

    Sonia Gandhi's plane makes emergency landing

    Over 100,000 Indians studying in America

    Over 100,000 Indians studying in America
    With 113,813 Indians studying in America, India is second only to China with 290,133 students among more than a million international students enrolled in nearly 9,000 US schools, according to a new report.

    Over 100,000 Indians studying in America

    Judiciary, media best judges of 2002 riots: Modi

    Judiciary, media best judges of 2002 riots: Modi
    As far as the 2002 Gujarat riots were concerned, it is the judiciary, media and NGOs which should be left to draw conclusions, BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi said.

    Judiciary, media best judges of 2002 riots: Modi

    Truth will come out in allegations against Robert Vadra, says Modi

    Truth will come out in allegations against Robert Vadra, says Modi
    The BJP government in Rajasthan was following due procedures over allegations concerning land deals of Sonia Gandhi's son-in-law Robert Vadra and the truth will be revealed, said Narendra Modi.

    Truth will come out in allegations against Robert Vadra, says Modi