Indore: Private schools fined Rs 2 lakh for forcing parents to buy uniform, books from specific seller

Two private schools in Indore were fined Rs 2 lakh each by the district administration on Friday, July 12, for compelling parents to buy uniforms and textbooks from a particular outlet, according to a report by PTI.

One of the schools was selling uniforms and textbooks itself, while the other had asked the parents to buy them only from two shops, said District Education Officer Manglesh Kumar Vyas.

Show-cause notices were issued to the school management following complaints from parents, he said.

As the replies to the notices were not satisfactory, Collector Ashish Singh imposed a fine of Rs 2 lakh each on the two schools under the Madhya Pradesh Private Schools (Regulation of Fees and Related Matters) Act, Vyas said.

The fine is to be paid within seven days, he added.

Just two months ago, the Bhopal district administration had also issued notices to 12 private schools for allegedly forcing students to buy textbooks and stationery items from dedicated shops.

In 2018, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) amended its regulations to allow schools to select textbooks from sources other than the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), with the condition that the content is appropriate. Additionally, schools were instructed to list the prescribed books on their websites along with a declaration from the manager and principal confirming review and acceptance of responsibility.