The Madhya Pradesh High Court has granted a major relief to 11 private educational institutions in Jabalpur by staying an order issued by the Jabalpur Collector mandating refund of fees worth approximately Rs 81 crore collected from students.
Earlier this year, an investigation led by the Jabalpur Collector uncovered that several private schools had imposed arbitrary fee hikes from 2018 to 2024, exceeding regulatory limits. The Collector’s order, which has now been stayed by the High Court, had mandated 11 of these schools to return the excess fees charged.
The controversy broke out when it was revealed that more than 240 private schools in Jabalpur had hiked their fees without proper notification to the administration or the state government. According to the fee hike regulations, schools are required to notify parents and the administration about any increase of fees exceeding 10 per cent.
For increases above 15 per cent, prior approval from the state government is mandated. Several schools were found to be in violation of these rules. The district administration responded swiftly and registered FIRs against 11 prominent private schools in the first phase of investigation.
The principals and directors of these institutions were arrested, and an order was issued by the district administration to return the excess fees collected. The investigation also revealed that the fee hikes were part of a larger scheme involving a nexus with book sellers, forcing parents to purchase books and supplies exclusively from designated vendors.
The High Court’s stay on the Collector’s order has provided immediate relief to the affected schools. The court has also issued notices to both the state government and the Collector.
Comments
0 comment