DPS Dwarka gets show-cause notice from DoE over fee hike complaints; calls it ‘illegal

The DoE asked the management of DPS Dwarka to provide a reply, failing which “it will be presumed the school management has nothing to offer in this regard and further action as deemed fit by the competent authority… i.e withdrawal of recognition will be initiated…”, it is learnt.

Asked for a comment on the notice, DPS Dwarka Principal Priya Narayanan told The Indian Express: “The show cause notice has been comprehensively addressed in our response to the DoE.”

In July, The Indian Express reported that over 20 students were allegedly barred from classrooms and had their names struck off the rolls since school resumed after summer vacation on July 1. Later, DPS Dwarka had published on its official website the names of 21 students and the outstanding fees their parents have to pay; it later removed this information. Parents claimed the action followed their refusal to pay the revised fee, which they say was increased “without following DoE norms”.

In its notice, the DoE also stated that “an inquiry team… visited the school to verify claims of complainants. The… team submitted its inspection report wherein it is stated that committee members tried to approach authorities of DPS, Dwarka… but the Principal of DPS Dwarka did not respond on the phone… and said that there was no need for an inquiry as all relevant documents have been submitted.”

Principal Narayanan, in her response to the notice on July 26 to Deputy Director of Education (Southwest B-1) Savita Drall, wrote, “… it is submitted that the show-cause notice… is completely arbitrary, illegal and devoid of any merits and fails to demonstrate any cogent reasons as to why your office wishes to withdraw recognition of the school. It is most humbly submitted that issuance of the show-cause notice and, thereby, threatening the school regarding withdrawal of recognition is merely an act of high-handedness to harass the school.”

She also wrote that the school reserves its right to a personal hearing before any action is taken against it.

Narayanan, in her letter, also relied on a Delhi High Court judgment which stated that “if pending the decision of the DoE on the statement of fee, the school decides to commence charging the enhanced fee from the beginning of the next academic session, it cannot be said that the school had, in any manner, infracted the provisions of the DSE Act or the DSE Rules”.

She added that “the fee collected from students… is the only source of revenue for the school… On account of non-payment of fee…, the school shall incur, and at present is incurring, huge revenue losses to the tune of almost Rs 4.75 crore for the financial year 2023-24.