ITANAGAR, Oct 18: A writ petition on public interest litigation (PIL) has been filed by one Nabam Issac against the state government and the education department.
The petition, which was filed on 15 October, challenges “the higher authorities of school education for legality and correctness of the state of Arunachal Pradesh regarding the ongoing school admission fees of academic year 2020-21 across the state, especially the Itanagar capital region (ICR) with the order circulated by the education secretary under the education department (No EDA 338/2020-21, dated 30 July).” It states that all the headmasters/mistresses and principals of the state were directed to strictly follow the government-prescribed admission fees norms.
The petitioner also approached the Papum Pare DDSE and complained about headmasters/headmistresses and principals of government schools hiking the admission fees. A representation in this regard was also submitted to the education secretary, Issac stated in a press release on Sunday.
“Despite repeated circulated orders from the higher authorities, many government schools are not following the prescribed norms of government and collecting beyond fixed admission fees, which found to be violating the undersigned high command of the education department,” Isaac said.
He said he visited several government primary and middle schools in Papum Pare and the ICR and learned that the schools had collected “some amount in the form of admission fees, whereas primary and middle school students should receive free education.”
The petitioner said that the schools were not ready to provide the admission fees receipts, and added that the schools were “violating the norms of the RTE Act, 2009, of Article 21 A of the Indian constitution.”
The arguments on the PIL have been scheduled for 19 October, Issac, who is a petitioner in person, said.
