Friday 29th Nov, 2024
The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has served notices to DPS Mathura Road and DPS RK Puram for a number of violations, including the re-appointment or extension of their principals.
The board has also asked DPS Mathura Road why its permanent affiliation should not be withdrawn.
The showcause notice served by the board to DPS Mathura Road says that the school had conducted a number of violations, including re-appointment of its principal.
For DPS RK Puram, the board has issued a letter for violating affiliation bylaws in extending the service of its school principal. The school has been asked to take corrective measure and inform the board within seven days. Officials said action under the affiliation bylaws will be initiated if the school fails to reply.
According to a senior official, Delhi Public School, Mathura Road, was granted permanent affiliation in 1969 subject to the condition that the school will abide by the provision of the affiliation and examination bylaws. An inspection was conducted by a team of CBSE members on March 8 this year and it was served a notice highlighting the alleged misconduct of the principal and violation of CBSE affiliation bylaws. The school was also asked to nominate CBSE nominees in the school managing committee.
“The school sent us a reply to all the violations we had brought to their notice and they have been found to be unsatisfactory. The school had issued a circular misinforming the parents and students that CBSE had started a new language policy, which created chaos. This violation can lead to punitive action. The school managing committee also reemployed the principal for a period of two years and seven months, who superannuated on 2.9.2016 without quoting any rule. This too is a violation,” said a senior CBSE official.
The showcause further states that “the principal being head of school is also custodian of public money received in the form of fee in schools. Therefore, government and CBSE has emphasized for transparent selection process of the principal… thus DPS has exceeded its powers.. with malafide intention to promote faavouritism and to have control over the public money of the school through the principal”.
The manager of DPS Mathura Road has been served with a showcause notice as to why permanent affiliation up to secondary level should not be withdrawn. The school has been given 15 days to reply to this.
In case of DPS RK Puram, CBSE has alleged that the school had extended the services of the principal beyond the academic session. “Hence, the school management has taken the decision at their own level and flouted the rules intentionally for personal benefits,” the CBSE official said.
The notice further states that the DPS society extended the service of the principal beyond the age of superannuation without any legal provision under the state act or bylaws of CBSE. “This practice breeds nepotism in an organization and diverts resources of schools from academics to personal gratifications. It is pertinent to mention that one of the major sources of revenue for schools is fee, which is public money and therefore the onus lies on school and its management for its judicious utilization,” the official added.
DPS R K Puram principal Vanita Sehgal said she has not received the showcause notice and refused to comment.
DPS Mathura Road principal Manohar Lal said his extension as principal was done as per proper process prescribed by DSER, 1973. “I was re-employed as per the directorate of education and DESR rules,” he said.