FRCC asks private schools with pending cases to resolve fee disputes by November 10

Srinagar, Oct 25: The Fee Fixation and Regulation Committee (FFRC) Wednesday asked the private schools, with pending cases before the High Court, to resolve their fees disputes by November 10, 2023.

The notice issued by the Administrative Officer FFRC reads that the failure to do so would result in the FFRC taking unilateral action to determine interim fee structures noting that no school management has the authority to independently fix fees in violation of established statutes and regulations.

Notably, the FFRC on September 18, 2023, issued a notice to over 35 private schools about the issue.

Additionally, the notice was extended to schools that had obtained stay orders against FFRC’s fee regulation orders.

“These institutions were directed to either request the High Court to adjudicate on their writ petitions or seek clarity regarding the legally permissible fees they can levy on students, all within a tight 15-day window,” the notice reads.

It reads that despite being provided ample time to adhere to the FFRC’s directives, these schools have remained obstinately unresponsive.

In the wake of this, the FFRC has escalated its stance by demanding that the concerned schools should seek immediate clarification from the High Court on the matter.

“The schools should get the clearance from the High Court by November 10, 2023. This represents a final opportunity for the schools to resolve their fee-related disputes with the court,” the notice reads.

If these schools fail to meet the November 10 deadline, the FFRC has declared its intent to take matters into its own hands.

“The committee will determine fee structures for an interim period and no further notices will be issued to the schools,” the notice reads.