In the High Court of Gujarat at Ahmedabad R/Writ Petition
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C/WPPIL/64/2020 JUDGMENT IN THE HIGH COURT OF GUJARAT AT AHMEDABAD R/WRIT PETITION (PIL) NO. 64 of 2020 With R/WRIT PETITION (PIL) NO. 114 of 2020 With R/WRIT PETITION (PIL) NO. 89 of 2020 With R/WRIT PETITION (PIL) NO. 100 of 2020 With R/SPECIAL CIVIL APPLICATION NO. 8819 of 2020 FOR APPROVAL AND SIGNATURE: HONOURABLE THE CHIEF JUSTICE MR. VIKRAM NATH and HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE J.B.PARDIWALA ========================================================== 1 Whether Reporters of Local Papers may be allowed to see the YES judgment ? 2 To be referred to the Reporter or not ? YES 3 Whether their Lordships wish to see the fair copy of the judgment ? NO 4 Whether this case involves a substantial question of law as to the NO interpretation of the Constitution of India or any order made thereunder ? ========================================================== NARESHBHAI KANUBHAI SHAH Versus STATE OF GUJARAT & 2 other(s) ========================================================== Appearance: MR.VISHAL J DAVE(6515) for the Applicant(s) No. 1 MR KAMAL TRIVEDI, ADVOCATE GENERAL WITH MS MANISHA LAVKUMAR SHAH, GOVERNMENT PLEADER WITH MR DHARMESH DEVNANI, AGP WITH MR MEET THAKKAR, AGP for the Opponent(s) No. 1,2,3 ========================================================== Page 1 of 48 Downloaded on : Wed Aug 05 14:31:38 IST 2020 C/WPPIL/64/2020 JUDGMENT CORAM: HONOURABLE THE CHIEF JUSTICE MR. VIKRAM NATH and HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE J.B.PARDIWALA Date : 31/07/2020 COMMON ORAL JUDGMENT (PER : HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE J.B.PARDIWALA) 1 As the issues raised in all the captioned petitions are the same, those were heard analogously and are being disposed of by this common judgement and order. 2 For the sake of convenience, the Special Civil Application No.8819 of 2020 is treated as the lead matter. 3 By this writ application under Article 226 of the Constitution of India, the writ applicants have prayed for the following reliefs: “(A) the Hon'ble Court be pleased to issue a writ of mandamus or a writ order or direction in the nature of mandamus and be pleased to quash and set aside the Government Resolution No.BMS/1220/53/FRCCell, dated 16.7.2020 issued by the Education Department, State of Gujarat. (B) Pending admission and final hearing of the present petition, the Hon'ble Court be pleased to stay the implementation and operation of the Government Resolution No. BMS/1220/53/FRCCell, dated 16.7.2020 issued by the Education Department, State of Gujarat. (C) Your Lordships may be pleased to pass such other and further order(s) that may be deemed fit and proper in the facts and circumstances of the case.” 4 The facts in brief of the present litigation are as under: Page 2 of 48 Downloaded on : Wed Aug 05 14:31:38 IST 2020 C/WPPIL/64/2020 JUDGMENT “2.1 The 1st petitioner is an association of unaided schools imparting pre-primary, primary, secondary and higher secondary education within the State of Gujarat. It is registered as a public charítable trust and is concerned with the interest of self financed schools within the State of Gujarat who are its members. The 2nd petitioner is the Secretary in the 1st petitioner’s and is a citizen and national of India. The 2“ Petitioner is also a trustee of a self financed school which is a member of the 1st Petitioner Association. 2.2 The members of the petitioners have established and are managing unaided schools in the State of Gujarat, which schools are affiliated to the State Board, Central Board for Secondary Education, Indian Council for Secondary Education, and international Boards. 2.3 The State of Gujarat has enacted the Gujarat Self Financed School (Regulation of Fees) Act, 2017 (“the Fee Act of 2017”) and the Gujarat Self Financed School (Regulation of Fees) Rules, 2017. The said Act is for fixing of fees in Unaided Schools situated within the State of Gujarat. The validity of the said Act has been upheld by this Hon’ble Court. The said judgment is subject matter of SLP (Civil) No. 314 of 2018 filed by the Petitioner Association which is pending final hearing before the Hon’ble Supreme Court. The Hon’ble Supreme Court has passed several orders from time to time. The proceedings of fixation of fees in terms of the said Act is made subject to the final outcome of the said proceedings pending before the Hon’ble Apex Court. 2.4 The Petitioners state that in view of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Government of India declared a lockdown and in furtherance thereof, all educational institutions were closed down. The Government of India permitted reopening of activities in a phase- wise manner. In terms thereof, the schools and other educational institutions have been permitted to operate, however, face-to-face education is not permitted and education can only be imparted online and/or by suitable audio-visual systems. 2.5 The Petitioners state that this Hon’ble Court was seized of a writ petition being Writ Petition (PIL) No.64 of 2020. The Petitioners are not parties to the said proceedings. The Petitioners have noticed an order passed by this Hon’ble Court, wherein the reliefs prayed for in the writ petition have been set out. The said prayers are reproduced hereunder for ready reference: Page 3 of 48 Downloaded on : Wed Aug 05 14:31:38 IST 2020 C/WPPIL/64/2020 JUDGMENT “(a) Your Lordships may be pleased to issue a Writ of Mandamus or any other appropriate Writ directing the respondents to issue respect of fees/hygiene to all the Private Schools across the State as under : i. No fee such as transportation, sport, term, meat, medical, SMS, IT & other curriculum activity etc., except Tuition fee, shall be charged from the parents for the month of April, May and June, 2020 till the schools get reopen under section 2 of the Epidemic Disease Act, 1897; ii. To remit/return the advanced fee taken from the parents, except Tuition fee, to the parents; iii. Heads of the schools shall not demand and collect the Tuition fee from the parents/students on quarterly basis. The fee shall be collected on monthly basis only. Schools should not demand a consolidated fee, without distinguishing the various heads i.e., tuition fee, co- curricular activities fee etc.; iv. Not to increase any fee in the academic session 2020-21 till further specific directions of the State Government/Union of India irrespective of the fact whether or not the school is running on the private land or the land allotted by Government; v. Shell ensure to provide the access of Online Education/material/classes to all students, without any discrimination, by providing them ID and Password immediately to get them online education facility. vi. Heads of the schools shall, in no case, deny ID and Password to those students/parents for getting online access of educational facilities/classes/ materials etc. to those students who are unable to pay the school fee due to financial crisis out of closure of business activities in the ongoing lookdown condition. Page 4 of 48 Downloaded on : Wed Aug 05 14:31:38 IST 2020 C/WPPIL/64/2020 JUDGMENT Vii. Managing Committee of the schools/Heads of the schools shall not put extra financial burden by creating an y new head of fee. Viii. Shall neither stop payment of monthly salary nor reduce the existing total emolument to the teaching and non-teaching staff of their schools in the name of non- availability of funds and arrange the funds in case of any shortfalls from the Society/Trust running the school or reserve fund. ix. If there is any specific complaint against any particular school, the parents concerned would be entitled to bring the same to the notice of the respondent authorities, which shall take steps in accordance with law; x. Head of all private schools shall make sure that proper sanitization is done in the school premises and the schools provide masks to children, teacher and other school staff and make sure that everyone in the school establishment use them as a post-COVID19 measure at least for 6 months ensure the availability of hygiene equipment’s i.e. hand sanitizers, face masks, paper napkins, dustbins in school; (b) Pending admission, hearing and final disposal of this petition, Your Lordships may be pleased to direct the respondents in the interregnum to issue order/guidelines/directions with respect of fees/hygiene to all the Private Schools across the State as enumerated herein above in prayer clause (8) and further be pleased to grant ad-interim ex parte stay against demands of fees raised by private schools till above guidelines / order / directions permanently passed/implemented by the respondents by way of resolution or notification in context of this serious issue In the State and no coercive steps will be taken against the students/parents till further orders and be pleased to pass interim-relief immediately since parents are getting intimating/threatening calls from the school authorities that if they will not deposit the fees consequences may follow penalty charges will be levied or other coercive steps will be taken against the student by not allowing them to take online classes; (c) Ad-interim relief in terms of paragraph (b). Page 5 of 48 Downloaded on : Wed Aug 05 14:31:38 IST 2020 C/WPPIL/64/2020 JUDGMENT (d) Your Lordships may be pleased to grant any other relief or relief’s as this Hon’b/e Court may deem just, fit end expedient be granted in favour of the petitioners. ” 2.6 The Petitioners state that its office bearers were informed by the Officers of the State Government to participate in an online meeting to consider the issues in relation to fees being charged by the schools.