Delhi Govt To Take Over School's Management After Complaints Of Charging 'Extra Fee'

After receiving several complaints of arbitrarily charging an exorbitant amount of fees, the Delhi government has decided to take over the management of Swami Sivananda Memorial School situated in Punjabi Bagh.

Several parents complained to the state government about the school authorities charging extra fees from students. Following this, the Delhi government formed an inquiry committee to investigate the matter.

Findings of Inquiry Committee

The committee found that the management of the school functioned inadequately and incompetently. Findings also verified the complaints of parents about the charging of extra fees.

The school authority failed to provide a reasonable response to the concerns raised by the government. After allowing the school management to defend itself, the Delhi government decided to take over the school's management under the Delhi School Education Act of 1973.

"After receiving several complaints from parents that school authorities are arbitrarily charging extra fees from students, the Delhi government has decided to take over the management of Swami Shivanand Memorial School situated in Punjabi Bagh. In addition, the school has been failing its students and asking them to re-take the same grade intentionally," a statement from Deputy Chief Minister's Office read, ANI reported.

Institute's General Secretary Defends Management

The Indian Express reported that the school is funded by the government, which means it receives a grant which covers 95 per cent of recurring expenses. The general secretary of the school Ashok Rao defended the management by saying that the school does not charge a fee to the students, and the issue was about the voluntary payment by the parents. He further stated that the claims of the institute failing its students are not substantiated.

A total of 500 students study in the school, which is run by the non-profit society Swami Sivananda Memorial Institute.

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