Fee Regulatory Committee Slaps Fine of Rs 5 Lakh On City Based Gurukul Grammar School

According to the Fee Regulatory Committee's notice which was dated August 11, the said fine was being levied on the school under Sections 13 and 15 of the Assam Non-Government Educational Institutions (Regulation of Fees) Act, 2018.

The notice further mentioned that, according to section 13 of the FRC, the school has been directed to refund twice the amount of excess fee collected from students within 15 days from the date of receiving the order.

Meanwhile, FRC Chairman RC Jain told the media that, "the Committee is strict on such matters."

Welcoming the FRC's decision, the guardians of students of Gurukul Grammar School told the media, "We have been constantly complaining about the high fee structure of the school violating all norms."

Meanwhile, with respect to the alleged high rates of fees being charged by some private schools in Assam, the Gauhati High Court has directed Dispur to find a solution to the imbroglio by having a meeting of the State's Principal Secretary, Education Department, and other stakeholders and also to appraise the Court as to what can be done.

This direction was given by the High Court after hearing a PIL (Public Interest Litigation) on the issue filed in the Gauhati Court (PIL39/2021) by Fazluzzaman Mazumder.

The issue raised in the present PIL is that in that the present COVID-19 pandemic situation, the private schools are still charging their usual fees from the students although classes are not running in the physical form; but only online classes are going on. Moreover, the students are also being charged under the heads for which no service is presently being provided to them in this COVID-19 pandemic situation.

Mr. D. Saikia learned Advocate General, Assam has apprised this Court that during the first wave of COVID-19 pandemic, certain orders were passed by the State Government taking this unique situation into consideration and, therefore, the State is open to any suggestion in this matter.

The Court further observed, "We are, prima facie, of the view that whereas entire fees cannot be dispensed with but items for which services or utilities are not being provided to the students in the present situation, such as a library, yoga, transportation, laboratory, etc., should not be charged. However, we do not make any final conclusion on this as that would be subject to the result of the meeting between the stakeholders."

The stakeholders comprise the MC (Management Committee) representatives of the non-government educational institutions and also of the teachers/Parents Association. The Court has listed the matter on 16.08.2021 along with PIL No.41/2020.