Over 100 Noida schools fined for not complying with HC order on fee refund

The deadline given to schools expired in March but many have not yet complied with it, said Dharmveer Singh, district inspector of schools (DIOS)

Noida: The Gautam Budh Nagar district magistrate has imposed a penalty of ₹1 lakh each on over 100 private schools in the district for not complying with an order of the Allahabad high court that states that 15% of the fees charged during the pandemic years of 2020 and 2021 have to be refunded to the parents of students.

Noida district magistrate Manish Verma imposed a penalty of ₹1 lakh each on over 100 private schools in the district . (HT Archive)

The order, which was passed on January 6, states, “It is made clear that in case any fee has been paid in excess of what has been determined by the Supreme Court in the aforesaid judgment (i.e 15% of the fees charged from students during academic year 2020-21, when classes were held online), in the case of the students still studying, the same may be adjusted in the fee to be paid in future. In case of students who have passed out or left the school, the amount may be calculated and returned to those students. Let the entire exercise be done within two months of date”.

The deadline given to schools expired in March but many have not yet complied with it, said Dharmveer Singh, district inspector of schools (DIOS).

The decision further stated that if a school does not pay the requisite penalty within 30 days, the fine will be increased to ₹5 lakh.

On Wednesday, the DIOS started sending out notices regarding the penalty to each school. “After inspection, we made a list of 100 schools that have not complied with the HC order. On Wednesday, notices were served to 20 schools while others will be sent notices soon,” he said.

The notice, addressed to the school principals concerned, said, “You have been directed to follow the order of the Allahabad high court but even after several letters directing you to do so, you have not complied with the order. Hence, in the DFRC meeting dated April 24, a penalty of ₹1 lakh will be imposed on the school”.

Manish Verma, district magistrate of Gautam Budh Nagar said, “If a school that has been served notice can prove that they have complied with the order and have been served notice wrongly, the directives will be reconsidered for that particular school.”

Meanwhile, parents welcomed the decision but expressed displeasure over the penalty imposed.

“The schools have committed contempt of court and for this, they should be served legal notices by the concerned authority and taken to court. A fine of ₹1 lakh is a meagre amount for big private schools such as those in Noida,” said Manoj Kataria, founder of Gautam Budh Nagar Parents Welfare Society (GPWS).

Renu Singh, principal of Amity International School, Noida, who is a member of the DFRC, said, “The decision was taken as schools chose not to comply with HC order.”