By Matters India Reporter

New Delhi: The Supreme Court has stayed the Rajasthan High Court order on school fees on pleas from Catholic schools and others in the western Indian state.

The apex court gave the interim order on February 8 while holding a joint hearing on the Special Leave Petitions filed by several groups including the Society of Catholic Educational institutions in Rajasthan challenging the Fee Regulation Act of 2016.

A bench headed by Justice A M Khanwilkar then stayed the High Court order that had upheld the state government’s direction to reduce the tuition fee by 30 percent during the lockdown.

Earlier on October 28, 2020, the Rajasthan government had asked private schools under the Rajasthan Board of Secondary Education to charge 60 percent and to 70 percent. Those under the Central Board of Secondary Education were allowed to charge 70 percent fees.

The Supreme Court has asked the Rajasthan government to give outstanding amount under Right to Education administration within a month.

Besides the Catholic school body, others who approached the Supreme Court were the Vidya Bhavan Society, the managing committee of Sawai Mansigh Vidyalaya, and Gandhi Seva Sadan.

Under the order, parents will have to pay the fee from March this year, which can be collected in six installments. The court also clarified that no child’s name be omitted from the school because of non-payment of fees. Also children of tenth and twelfth grades will not be denied to sit in the examination if fees are not deposited.