Latest news with #DoE
United News of India
2 days ago
- Politics
- United News of India
SC issues notice on private schools on govt land hiking fees
New Delhi, May 30 (UNI) The Supreme Court has issued a notice to the Director of Education (DoE), Government of Delhi, on a plea challenging the Delhi High Court's orders that permitted private unaided schools situated on government-allotted land to hike fees without prior approval from the education department. The bench, comprising Chief Justice of India (CJI) B.R. Gavai and Justice A.G. Masih, was hearing a special leave petition filed by Naya Samaj Parents Association, contesting two rulings of the Delhi High Court that upheld the autonomy of private schools in revising fee structures. According to the petition, 'private unaided schools in Delhi have increased their fees multifold, in some cases by up to 100% and are initiating penal actions against students for non-payment, thereby creating confusion and panic among parents.' The controversy stems from an interim order passed in April 2024 by a Single Judge of the Delhi High Court in a writ petition filed by the Action Committee Unaided Recognised Private Schools. In this order, the court observed that, as per prevailing law, unaided recognised private schools are not required to seek prior permission from the DoE before raising their fees, regardless of land allotment clauses. The order also stayed a circular issued by the DoE regulating fee proposals from unaided private schools. The petition before the Supreme Court specifically challenges paragraph 29 of this order. Subsequently, in its final order dated April 8, 2025, the High Court's division bench dismissed a Letters Patent Appeal filed against the interim order, on the procedural ground that the petitioner was not a party in the original writ proceedings. The petitioner, however, argues that this decision conflicts with previous rulings of both the Delhi High Court and the Supreme Court. It cites the Justice For All vs Govt. of NCT of Delhi case, where the Delhi High Court held that the DoE has the authority under Section 17(3) of the Delhi School Education Act, 1973 to regulate fee hikes and prevent profiteering by unaided schools. The petitioner also relies on the Supreme Court's judgment in the landmark Modern School vs Union of India case, which emphasised that private schools on DDA-allotted land must seek prior approval from the DoE before increasing tuition fees. In that case, the Apex Court directed the Director of Education to verify whether schools were complying with the terms of their land allotment and take action in case of violations. A specific clause in the DDA's allotment letters, referred to by the Supreme Court, reads, 'The school shall not increase the rates of tuition fee without the prior sanction of the Directorate of Education, Delhi Administration and shall follow the provisions of the Delhi School Education Act/Rules, 1973 and other instructions issued from time to time.' In its ruling in Modern School, the Court had directed, 'The Director of Education shall examine the terms of allotment issued to schools and ensure compliance within three months. In case of non-compliance, appropriate steps shall be taken.' The Supreme Court has now taken cognisance of the petitioner's concerns and issued a notice to the Delhi DoE for its response. The matter is expected to be heard in June. UNI SNG SSP
Time of India
2 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
SC raps Delhi private schools for fee hike without govt nod
The Supreme Court on Thursday pulled up private unaided schools in Delhi for sharply hiking tuition fees without prior government approval, questioning how institutions receiving land at concessional or no cost could unilaterally raise fees. 'If land is allotted free of cost or at a concessional rate, how can you exorbitantly increase fees without the government's nod?' asked a bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud (note: original says CJI B R Gavai, but verify with source) and Justice A G Masih, reported The Times of India. The court was hearing a petition filed by the Naya Samaj Parents Association , which challenged two Delhi High Court orders that had permitted such fee hikes by unaided private schools without prior approval from the Directorate of Education (DoE). The petitioner argued that schools were penalising students who couldn't afford the fees, causing distress among students and parents. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 'They Want This Joint Relief Gummy Gone—Here's Why Seniors Love It' Joint Fuel 360 Click Here Undo The SC bench directed the Action Committee Unaided Recognised Private Schools and the Delhi government's education directorate to file their responses within three weeks. The petition contended that the HC orders contradicted previous Supreme Court rulings—particularly the 2004 Modern School case—that mandated schools situated on government-allotted land must obtain prior approval from the DoE before increasing tuition fees. Live Events Quoting the earlier SC verdict, the plea said: 'The quantum of fees to be charged by unaided private schools is subject to regulation by DoE under Section 17(3) of the Delhi School Education Act, 1973.' The court had also emphasised that private schools must not engage in profiteering or commercialisation of education. The current challenge comes amid broader concerns over affordability and transparency in fee structures in Delhi's private school sector. With inputs from ToI
New Straits Times
2 days ago
- New Straits Times
Company, two directors charged with illegal disposal of scheduled waste
SEREMBAN: A company and two of its directors were charged in the Sessions court here yesterday with illegal disposal of scheduled waste in Port Dickson last year. Nature Energy Products Sdn Bhd and its two directors, S. Sivanathiran, 62, and Chan Kwai Soon, 47, pleaded not guilty to the charges before Judge Mohamad Kamil Nizam. They were charged with breaching the Environmental Quality (Scheduled Waste) Regulations 2005 by disposing of scheduled waste, namely non-halogenated organic solvent waste, without first obtaining approval from the Director-General. The offence was allegedly committed at Lot 11224, Mukim Jimah, Port Dickson at 4.30 pm on Oct 14, 2024. The charge, under Section 34B(1)(a), Environmental Quality Act 1974, is punishable under Section 34B (4) of the same law, which provides imprisonment of five years and a fine of up to RM10 million upon conviction. The court allowed them bail of RM9,000 with one surety each and also ordered them to report to the Negri Sembilan Department of Environment (DoE) every month, as well as not to intimidate witnesses either in person or through a third party. The court also set July 3 for mention. Deputy public prosecutor Nurliyana R. Azmi, from DoE, prosecuted, while Sivanathiran, who is a former Negri Sembilan (DoE) deputy director, and Chan, were represented by lawyers Haresh Mahadevan dan Ramzani Idris. - BERNAMA
Hindustan Times
3 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Supreme Court to examine hike in fees by private schools
The Supreme Court on Thursday agreed to examine [CHECK] whether private schools in Delhi that received land at concessional rates can bypass approval from the Directorate of Education (DoE) when increasing fees. The move came as the court issued notice on a plea by parents of three students from Delhi Public School (DPS), Dwarka, who were among 32 children expelled for refusing to pay a hiked fee. A bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Bhushan R Gavai and Justice AG Masih issued notice to the Action Committee for Unaided Recognised Private Schools, of which DPS Dwarka is a member. 'We are issuing notice. The policy of the state is that fee regulation will not apply to private schools. But if land is allotted free of cost, then you have to respond,' the bench said, seeking a reply within three weeks. The plea was filed by Divya Mattey, Praveen Madhavankutty, and Saurabh Agarwal, who pointed out that DPS Dwarka had violated a binding Supreme Court order dated January 23, 2017. That ruling had upheld a 2016 Delhi High Court decision requiring schools bound by land allotment clauses to seek DoE approval before raising fees. Appearing for the parents, advocates Manish Gupta and Sandeep Gupta told the court that the school expelled 32 students on May 9 for not paying the increased fees, even though the parents had deposited the amount approved by the DoE for the 2023-24 academic year. The children, they said, were barred from entering school as private bouncers at the gate denied them entry. The parents cited the 2016 Delhi HC judgment, which held that under Section 17(3) of the Delhi School Education Act and Rules, 1973, DoE has the authority to regulate fees charged by unaided schools to prevent profiteering. The ruling also allowed such schools to create a Development Fund Account, which could collect up to 15% of annual tuition fees. That decision was unsuccessfully challenged by private school associations. A review petition was dismissed by the high court in July 2016, and the Supreme Court upheld the ruling in 2017, making it final and binding. The present application was filed in connection with an appeal by the Naya Samaj Parents Association, which is contesting two Delhi High Court orders that had stayed the DoE's fee regulation directives concerning schools with land allotment clauses. These orders were passed on April 29, 2024, and April 8, 2025. Advocate Kamal Gupta, appearing for the Action Committee, told the bench that the parents of the 32 students had already filed a case before the Delhi High Court and were now approaching the Supreme Court while that case was still pending. In a parallel development, the Delhi high court on Wednesday directed the expelled students to pay 50% of the increased fees for the 2024–25 academic session, pending the DoE's decision on their representation. The parents had also filed a separate petition seeking administrative takeover of the school by the DoE and the Delhi Lieutenant Governor, alleging non-compliance with official orders. The latest application by the three parents highlighted that the DoE, in an order dated May 15, directed DPS Dwarka to reinstate the expelled students. The plea also referred to a Delhi High Court observation from April 16, where the court criticised the school for confining the students in a library and denying them access to washrooms over unpaid fees. 'It is extremely shocking that despite the Delhi High Court's April 16 order, the school struck off the names of 32 children on May 9, even though they had paid the DoE-approved fees,' the application said. The case will now be examined further after the Action Committee and DPS Dwarka respond to the Supreme Court's notice.
Al Etihad
3 days ago
- Business
- Al Etihad
AI-powered energy control platform AD.WE to transform Abu Dhabi's utilities sector
30 May 2025 00:53 SARA ALZAABI (ABU DHABI)The Abu Dhabi Department of Energy (DoE) has entered into a strategic partnership with Presight and AIQ, marking a significant step toward integrated, AI-enabled energy management aimed at enhancing efficiency and during the World Utilities Congress in the UAE capital earlier this week, the agreement will see the development of an advanced AI-driven control centre platform. will deliver real-time analytics to support and optimise the energy and utilities sector across Abu Dhabi's Presight, an international big data analytics company powered by GenAI, has developed the smart platform that would manage the integrated to Aletihad, Dr. Adel Al Sharji, Chief Operating Officer of Presight, said, 'The platform will contribute to optimising energy use and production lines.' Using AI to manage facilities and infrastructure can streamline various operations, contributing to the emirate's sustainability goals, Al Sharji said. He cited its impact on the agriculture sector — managing energy and water resources in farms — as an example. 'With AI and sensors, we can track weather conditions, like dust or humidity, and apply algorithms to protect crops and conserve energy,' he said. "These IoT sensors gather data, feed it into our AI platform, which interacts with the information and applies specific procedures based on different scenarios."In this case, the outcomes are clear: savings in energy, water, and increased agricultural productivity, Al Sharji said. 'Farms can see improved yields and better resource allocation regardless of their distance."One of the project's main goals, he added, is to ensure "effective management that allows global energy companies to safely present ideas and experiments on the platform.''If these ideas succeed, they will be implemented by the Department of Energy,' Al Sharji said. The collaboration further involves the introduction of an AI Lab-as-a-Service, enabling energy companies in Abu Dhabi to test, confirm, and roll out artificial intelligence solutions within their processes for various application the agreement covers the establishment of a primary data hub which will consolidate all data under the purview of the DoE and sector companies, serving as a single and trusted source of an interview with Aletihad, Dr. Adel Bin Subaih, Chief Operations Officer at AIQ, said the company will work hand in hand with DoE and Presight to build the state-of-the-art platform that consolidates necessary data and insights.'This will improve the Department of Energy's operational efficiency and productivity, giving them a full picture on how to reduce operating costs,' Bin Subaih a joint venture between G42, Presight, and ADNOC, is pioneering and developing complex AI solutions for the energy currently has three primary offerings in its portfolio. 'We have one called SMARTi, which focuses on protecting people and enhancing safety. Another product is EMISSIONX—this helps monitor and advise on decarbonisation efforts, directly contributing to the UAE's and Abu Dhabi's 2050 sustainability goals,' Dr. Bin Subaih said. The third key product, the Corrosion Suite, 'is designed to protect assets rather than people.''It monitors pipeline infrastructure and provides recommendations on preventive maintenance, helping safeguard utilities and facilities,' Dr. Bin Subaih said. These three solutions—Smart Eye, Emission X, and CORROSCAN—are now being integrated into the newly signed agreement alongside the real-time digital platform.
