Source: NDTV Education
The Supreme Court Monday directed 36,000 private unaided schools of Rajasthan to charge 15 percent less annual fees from students in academic session 2020-21 and made clear that no students are barred from attending virtual or physical classes and their results are not held up due to non-payment of fees.
The top court upheld the Rajasthan High Court's judgment in rejecting the challenge to the validity of the Rajasthan Schools (Regulation of Fee) Act, 2016 and the Rules framed under the law governing fixation of school fees by the government-mandated procedures.A bench comprising justices A M Khanwilkar and Dinesh Maheshwari, in its 128-page judgment, made clear that the truncated fees for the academic year 2020-21 would be payable in six equal installments by students or guardians.
“Undeniably, an unprecedented situation has had evolved on account of complete lockdown due to pandemic. It had a serious effect on the individuals, entrepreneurs, industries, and the nation as a whole including in the matter of economy and purchasing capacity of one and all. "A large number of people have lost their jobs and livelihood as an aftermath of such economic upheaval. The parents who were under severe stress and even unable to manage their day to day affairs and the basic need of their family made fervent representation to the school Management(s) across the State,” Justice Khanwilkar noted in the verdict.
The Director, Secondary Education, on April 09, 2020, directed private schools to defer the collection of school fees for three months. The relief was extended to the students by subsequent orders by the government official.
Also read: Only Tuition fees will be charged for the lockdown period, ordered by Uttarakhand schools
