Nawanshahr School of Eminence faces action over excess fee charge

Nawanshahr DC Gulpreet Singh Aulakh has directed the District Education Department to impose a penalty on the government's flagship School of Eminence, Nawanshahr, after an inquiry found that a Class XI student had been charged Rs 5,000 as admission fee against the prescribed annual fee of Rs 876. The amount of the penalty is yet to be discussed.

The action follows a complaint submitted in April by Sanjiv Bhalla, a resident of Saroya village. Bhalla alleged that his daughter, Tanu Bhalla, had qualified the entrance test for admission to Class XI at the School of Eminence.

According to the complaint, his family was asked to deposit Rs 5,000 at the time of admission. After learning that the prescribed annual fee in government schools was Rs 876, he sought a receipt and clarification regarding the amount charged. Bhalla alleged that the school subsequently refunded Rs 4,000, cancelled his daughter's admission and later transferred the remaining Rs 1,000 to his sister's bank account through UPI.

He further alleged that after he raised the issue with the Education Minister and senior officials, his daughter's admission was restored. In his complaint, Bhalla sought a high-level inquiry into the alleged overcharging of fee and action against those responsible.

Aulakh said he had sought a report from the district education authorities after receiving the complaint. "The inquiry report found that the student had been overcharged. Accordingly, I directed the district Education Department to impose a penalty on the school for charging fee beyond the prescribed amount. So far, I have received only one complaint in the matter," he said.

Responding to the allegations, School of Eminence Principal Sarabjit Singh said, "I have not received any notice so far. The Rs 5,000 fee was approved by the School Management Committee and was not my personal decision. The amount was collected to meet the expenditure incurred on providing additional facilities and services to students."

"There is a shortage of teachers in the school, so we have engaged additional teachers on our own. Similarly, against the sanctioned requirement of seven cleaners, we have only one, forcing us to hire additional staff at the school's expense. The funds collected are utilised to provide better facilities to students. We have been providing opportunities for participation in the National Science Seminar, the International Mathematics Olympiad and other academic and co-curricular activities, all of which involve additional expenditure," he said.