Delhi govt directs pvt schools to charge fees after 15% deduction to prevent profiteering

In a bid to prevent profiteering or commercialization, the Arvind Kejriwal-led government in Delhi directed private schools to deduct 15 percent from the overall fees on Thursday. The announcement comes at a time when the state government is already fighting a legal battle to restrict private schools from collecting annual charges and development fees due to the COVID-19 situation. 

Private school fee matter

Meanwhile, on April 18, 2020, and August 28, 2020, the Directorate of Education’s (DoE) of Delhi had passed an order that sought to restrict private, unaided schools from collecting annual charges and development fees due to the Covid-19 situation, which was set aside by a single judge of the Delhi high court on May 31. The DoE had then rushed to a division bench of the Delhi High Court, which declining the request, had said, “How the state is aggrieved in a matter between private schools and (parents of) students…The state is not concerned according to us." 

It scheduled the matter for the next hearing on July 12. 

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court considering that the division bench of the High Court is scheduled to hear the appeal against the single bench judgment on July 12, refused to entertain the special leave petition moved forward by Delhi. In the SC hearing, Justice Khanwikar said, “Considering that division bench is hearing the matter on July 12, all contentions remain open and will be raised before division bench dismissal of the petition does not reflect upon merits of the case.”

The Apex Court even said that the dismissal of the appeal is not an expression of the merits of the case. 

(Credit-PTI/@aapkarvind-facebook)