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Implementation of fee regulation act is an eyewash: Educational activists

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City education activists have termed the state government's decision of implementing Maharashtra Educational Institutions (Regulation of Collection of Fee) Bill, 2011, from the next academic session, an eyewash. Based on the Bansal Committee report, activists believe that the committee report has several flaws and it will not put an end of arbitrary fee hike by private schools.

When is the fee regulation act set to be implemented?
A couple of days back, the new education minister indicated that the fee regulation act, which has been prepared on Kumud Bansal Committee's report, is likely to be implemented from 2015-16 academic session.

Why has the act not been implemented yet?
In the past too, activists across Mumbai and Navi Mumbai had opposed the recommendation of Kumud Bansal Committee's report. The report, however, was cleared by the both houses of state and already got President's nod in 2011. Still, the fee regulation act was not implemented as it received hurdle from activists and All India Federation of Parent Teacher Association.

Why are activists furious?
Activists claim that the act does not have a ceiling of upper limit of fee hike, which will create problems in future. “The state claims that the act, which is similar to the act passed in Tamil Nadu, will curb private schools to hike fees as per their whims and fancies. However, the fact is different,” said Sudhir Dani, a city-based education activist.
Dani added, “States like Tamil Nadu succeeded in keeping ceiling on fees. But Maharashtra government does not have courage to do that.” According to him, Tamil Nadu considered this aspect and brought the ceiling on collection of maximum amount of fees. There is a ceiling on yearly fee for pre-primary at Rs6,000, primary Rs7,000, secondary Rs9,000 and higher secondary Rs11,000 in Tamil Nadu. “The decision was challenged in the high court and supreme court and the matter was dismissed from both,” said Dani.

What does the act entail?
As per the act, both state-run and private schools submitted details of the proposed fee and relevant records to the state government at least eight months before the start of an academic session. “There is no transparency whether all schools have submitted details of the proposed fee that they will collect from students from next academic session,” said another education activist, Anuj Kumar Pandey, who is also secretary of Federation of Association of PTA of Maharashtra.
He added that the act should not be implemented in haste.

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