HC relief to parents, no obligation to buy uniforms & books from schools

HC urges CBSE to stop sale of books and uniforms in schools/ Representational Image

New Delhi: Ending the plight of a lower middle class family, which face a lot of burden from private schools who force students to purchase school books and uniform only from the school premises, HC on Tuesday directed CBSE to ensure that the schools affiliated with it don’t sell books and uniforms inside their campus. The order has come as a big relief for the parents, who can now turn to local book shops for the books which are a part of the student’s syllabus, a move which was earlier discouraged by teachers. The Delhi High Court order directed the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) to ensure that the schools affiliated to it must not indulge in commercial activities. A bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice Anu Malhotra also noted that the CBSE has recently issued a circular in this regard. "We are disposing of the writ petition with direction to the CBSE to ensure that its circular is strictly complied with, in accordance with law, by the institutions," the bench said. CBSE had earlier denied the move saying that the move was not in the interest of the parents but of the petitioner. The court order came after a PIL was filed by social worker Sunil Pokhriyal, seeking direction from court to direct the schools to keep from commercial activities. It had alleged that the shops inside schools are being run by the people known to the school management and the institutions made "willful gain" from these businesses. "A pair of shoes, which is available at around Rs 500 in the market, costs Rs 1,200-1,500 when sold through the school's store," the plea had alleged. The court however refuted CBSE’s claim and asserted that “petitioner may have own interest, “but we are aware of the view that it is in public interest especially for school-going children and their parents." The direction has given parents a free hand to purchase these items from the open market at a competitive price.