Expulsions over fee hike: Parents turn down interim relief
New Delhi: Parents of 34
DPS Dwarka
students challenging their expulsion from school for non-payment of hiked fees failed to get an immediate relief from
Delhi High Court
on Thursday. Justice Vikas Mahajan instead proposed an interim arrangement in which the parents deposited 50% of the unpaid fees subject to the outcome of the petition and the school readmitted the students.
The parents, however, declined this, stating that they were willing to pay the hiked fees only if a comprehensive
forensic audit
and a Comptroller and Auditor General of India audit were conducted into the school's finances and the findings were made public.
The parents rejected the claimed audit conducted by Delhi govt recently, which they argued had "done little to alleviate the ongoing struggles faced by their children". On May 9, the parents had received emailed notification about their children's names being struck off the rolls due to "non-payment of school fees".
Some parents alleged that DPS Dwarka posted bouncers at the gates on Tuesday to prevent listed students from entering classrooms.
On Wednesday, the aggrieved parents moved Delhi High Court, seeking the reinstatement of their children.
One parent alleged Delhi govt's claimed audits were "mere compilations of previously conducted reports". Mahesh Mishra, another parent, added, "If a private school seeks to increase fees citing financial losses, it must first undergo a comprehensive forensic audit and an independent audit by CAG, covering both the institution and the organisation under which it operates. If the audit reports confirm that the school is genuinely facing financial distress, parents are prepared to support their request for a
fee hike
."
Stating that the matter was in high court, the school principal refused to comment. The court has posted the matter for hearing on Friday.
This dispute unfolds as Delhi govt moves to implement a new law aimed at curbing arbitrary fee hikes in private schools. The draft legislation proposes setting up fee regulation committees at the school, district and state levels, and includes fines of up to 50,000 for coercive actions, such as isolating or denying entry to students.
The plea of the parents alleged that in the last few years, the school had pressured and used coercive methods to collect unapproved fees from parents, including hiring bouncers for duty at the gates. The parents' counsel claimed the school had increased the fee earlier to Rs 7,000 a month and now to Rs 9,000.
The plea said several representations on the matter had been made to the lieutenant governor, highlighting gross violations of the land allotment conditions by the school and alleged non-compliance with orders passed by the Department of Education.
The petition said, "On the one hand, DoE seems vigilant and fully aware of the misconduct of the school… but the larger question is what is stopping DoE from taking over after obtaining the approval of lieutenant governor of Delhi, who is appointed as administrator under Article 239AA of the Constitution of India?"
It cited another petition pending before a coordinate bench of the high court. In that case in April, the court examined an inspection report of an eight-member committee led by the district magistrate (southwest) that highlighted discriminatory practices by another school against students. The students were barred from attending regular classes and confined to the library, restricted access to the canteen, not allowed to communicate with friends and were closely monitored by guards during washroom visits.
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