New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Monday said that the Delhi government has no power to indefinitely postpone the collection of annual charges and development fees by private unaided schools as it would unreasonably restrict their functioning.
The court quashed the Directorate of Education’s (DoE) office orders of April and August 2020 forbidding and postponing the collection of annual charges and development fees. The High Court said they were “illegal” and “ultra vires the powers of the respondent (DoE) stipulated under the Delhi School Education (DSE) Act and the Rules, reported news agency PTI.
However, Justice Jayant Nath noted that schools are saving some money on account of the fact that they are physically shut. Justice Nath also said that the Supreme Court’s direction — in Indian School, Jodhpur vs. State of Rajasthan — that schools shall collect annual fees with a deduction of 15 per cent shall apply in the instant case.
The top court had said that the deduction would be in lieu of unutilised facilities by the students during the relevant period of the academic year 2020-21.
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