DPS to refund or adjust ₹15k security deposits

Vadodara: Delhi Public School (DPS) will decide whether to refund or adjust the Rs 15,000 security deposit taken from each student, after the intervention of district education officer (DEO) Mahesh Pandey. This came after Right to Education (RTE) activist Sai Dekhane staged a dharna inside the DEO’s office on Wednesday, demanding a written directive against the school’s practice of taking security deposits from parents at admission.

Pandey subsequently met school representatives and issued a written communication, after which Dekhane called off his protest. In a letter to Dekhane on Wednesday, the DEO said a local inquiry conducted on Sep 16 had confirmed that the school collected Rs 15,000 from each student as a security deposit.

The letter noted that the school had acknowledged collecting the sum, which it said was returned when students left the school or completed their studies. The DEO’s letter also said that while the school did not collect fees other than those determined by the Fee Regulatory Committee (FRC), the security deposit was being collected on the instructions of the school management.

The management assured the education department it would decide at its next meeting whether to refund or adjust the deposits and communicate its decision. In its reply to the DEO dated Sep 12, the school had justified the deposit as caution money to safeguard against outstanding dues, unreturned library books and damage to school property or laboratory equipment.

It stated that the amount was refundable at the time of issuance of the transfer certificate, subject to verification of accounts and adjustment of outstanding dues. Dekhane had sought action under the Gujarat govt’s resolution of Feb 18, 2011, which prohibits primary schools from collecting capitation fees, security deposits, donations or any amount other than prescribed fees at the time of admission.

The resolution also provides for a penalty of 10 times the capitation fee collected. You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Vadodara | Silver Rate in Vadodara | Bank Holidays in Vadodara | Public Holidays in Vadodara | Vadodara AQI | Weather in Vadodara | Petrol Price in Vadodara | Diesel Price in Vadodara | CNG Price in Vadodara | LPG Price in Vadodara Stay updated with the latest Vadodara news.