Authorities in Madhya Pradesh’s Jabalpur district have ordered ten private schools to refund approximately Rs 65 crore in extra tuition fees charged to over 81,000 students across seven academic sessions, an official stated on Thursday.

Jabalpur District Education Officer (DEO) Ghanshyam Soni noted that the schools increased tuition fees illegally.

The district committee, established under the Madhya Pradesh Niji Vidyalaya (Fees Tatha Sambandhit Vishayon Ka Viniyaman) Adhiniyam, 2017, reviewed the schools’ accounts and discovered the extra charges.

The authorities annulled the illegal fee increases, totaling Rs 64.58 crore collected from 81,117 students between 2018-19 and 2024-25, Soni said. He issued notices on Tuesday directing the schools to refund the fees.

On May 27, the Jabalpur district administration registered 11 FIRs against school officials and some bookshop owners for illegally raising fees and textbook prices, officials mentioned.

District Collector Deepak Saxena indicated that actions were taken against the involved school officials and bookshop owners after uncovering discrepancies.

According to regulations, schools must obtain district administration approval for fee hikes over 10 percent. Increases beyond 15 percent require approval from a state government committee. Some schools increased fees by more than 10 percent, and others by over 15 percent, without proper authorization, the collector added.

The district committee’s decision is based on the Madhya Pradesh Niji Vidyalaya Adhiniyam, 2017, which was enacted to regulate private school fees and related matters. This legislation aims to prevent arbitrary fee hikes and ensure transparency and fairness in fee structures.

In light of these findings, the district administration has taken a firm stance to protect the interests of students and their families. The refund process is expected to be closely monitored to ensure compliance by the schools. Additionally, the authorities are likely to conduct further audits and inspections to prevent such violations in the future.

This crackdown on illegal fee hikes reflects the government’s commitment to ensuring affordable education for all and holding educational institutions accountable. The parents and guardians of affected students have welcomed the decision, hoping it will set a precedent for other districts and states to follow.

Source: PTI

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