Campus Watch
Parents Protest Loot by Himachal’s Private Schools, Education Minister Advises Sending Children to Govt Schools

Shimla- Levying of
Now, their free booklets have removed the
Distressed parents have organized under the banner of Parent-Student forum and are again out on the roads to protest against private schools and incapability of the government to take appropriate action. They are asking the government to regulate private schools and make them accountable and responsible. Three main demands of the parents include regulation of fee structure, syllabus, and admission process.
Video
On March 11, 2019, parents gathered outside the Office of the Deputy Commissioner, Shimla, to hold a protest. On March 13, the forum staged another protest outside the Directorate of Higher Education. The protests are likely to continue until the government addresses the issue, suggested the convenor of the forum, Vijender Mehra.
Parents complained that schools did not consult them before implementing fee hikes for the current session. They also alleged that schools flaunted all regulations while doing so. After extracting hefty fees, some schools were charging an additional Rs. 35-40 in the name of tours, parents alleged. If that was not enough to burden the parents, the schools charge money for their events too, the convenor of the forum said.
My son was in the second class last year, and I paid about 50,000 to the school as various fees. This year, I will have to pay more,
a father told Himachal Watcher on the condition of anonymity.
Schools have imposed compulsions on parents regarding purchase of books and uniforms. Parents are strictly ordered to buy them from shops selected by schools, where books and uniforms are sold at thrice or four times the normal cost, the convenor said.
Vendors selected by schools set stalls inside the campus and parents must buy books from these vendors. It’s a strict instruction given by the school. These vendors sell books at a higher price as parents are rendered helpless by the school,
said another parent on the condition of not mentioning the name of the school.
Schools tie up with these vendors and fetch fat commissions from them every year on the sale of stationary and uniforms, the parents allege.
If the number of students enrolled in these schools is considered, then they are earning almost over Rs.6 crores per year. Including the commissions from books and uniforms, this amount increases to almost Rs. 7 crore. Their expenditure including salaries of teachers doesn’t exceed Rs. 3 crores. Rest of the amount is their surplus,
the convenor of the forum said.
Himachal Watcher talked to some parents of children enrolled in various private schools in Shimla. It turned out that Rs. 30,000 – 50,000 per annum is a common amount for the majority of schools. For reputed ones, this cost reaches
I have two sons
enrolled a reputed private school in Shimla. Elder one is in class II and younger one is in LKG. Last year, I paid about Rs. 90,000 as their fee,
a mother – resident of Summerhill- told HW.
The schools justify annual hike and hefty charges saying that they are fully self-funded. To hike
According to Right to Education (RTE), all private schools are supposed to reserve 25 percent of the seats for children hailing from economically weaker sections. In 2014, the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) had also issued fresh guidelines to private schools. The parents alleged that schools are not following these rules. The government, they alleged, is behaving like a mute spectator.
It is seen that MLAs, bureaucrats, leaders of the ruling, as well as the opposition, enroll their children in reputed private institutes because they don’t believe in the quality of education and facilities provided in government institutes. While
I won’t send my children to government schools because I want them to explore their full potential and develop their personalities. I want them to develop enough self-confidence and communication skills to face the modern, tough competitive world. Currently, government schools are just not able to offer much to children,
said a father of two and resident of New Shimla.
What Does Education Minister Says?
The Education Minister Suresh Bhardwaj, in response to these protest, told media that he is well aware of this loot. His advice to parents was to send their children to Government schools. As per the Minister, the Government schools are tip-top and quality of education is at par with private schools.
Since assuming the office, the Education Minister was reluctant to accept that a decline in enrollments in government schools is a result of the degrading quality of education. As per his statement in February 2019, parents send their children to private schools for it has become a status symbol. He also claimed that introducing p
It’s pertinent to mention that the HP Private Education Institutions (Regulation) Act does exist, but its hardly playing any role in regulating schools.
The school aren’t even following the instruction given by the Directorate of Higher Education to submit records of their annual charges for the session 2018-2019.
Other states have developed their own regulatory mechanism to deal with loot by private schools. For example, the State of Gujarat has the Self Financed Schools (Regulation of Fees) Act. It makes State Government competent of forming laws for state boards, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and the Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE).
However, it appears that the Government in Himachal is trying to delay forming and implementing any such regulatory law.
Parents also question the government’s disinterest in the implementation of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009.
Moreover, irrespective of political parties in power, private schools are hardly audited.
In January 2018, right after coming into power, the Education Minister had assured the people that a policy would be introduced to check arbitrary fee structures of private schools in the State. The laws formed by other states to prevent private schools from exploiting parents financially would be studied, he had said. He had also said that very soon these schools would be brought under the Regulatory Commission.
In March 2019, the Education Minister has again given an assurance that the Government would make provisions to regulate private schools. The Government did not mention any deadline or estimated time it would take to frame laws and implement them. Meanwhile, schools have already begun extorting this year’s fees.
The parents also said that they would be meeting the Education Minister during the current week with their plea. The parents have warned the government of more such protests if no action was taken to tighten the noose around these schools.
What Does Law Say?
Operation of private schools and commercialisation of education has long been a matter of litigation across the country. The Supreme Court in December 2018 had ordered a 20 per cent decrease in fees charged by upscale private schools. The schools were ordered to return half the fees they had charged for summer vacations. This order was applicable across the country whose fees were in excess of Rs 5, 000.
The apex court had also ordered that private schools can only increase their fee by five percent each year.
Before it, cases like Islamic Academy of Education versus State of Karnataka (2003) and Modern School versus Union of India (2004) have clearly stated that educational institutions should be allowed to make only ‘reasonable surplus’. The schools were expected to use this profit to provide better facilities and not for profiteering by the school management.
Apparently, the welfare of society lies in putting a check on the commercialisation of education. Good education lies at the foundation of a strong, healthy democracy. At least, education must not be put on sale.
Campus Watch
Include Yoga as Compulsory Subject in Himachal’s Schools, Demands HPYSA

Shimla-Himachal Pradesh Yogasana Sports Association (HPYSA), Chairman, Prof. GD Sharma, has urged the State Government to include Yoga as a compulsory subject at the school level and to teach it in colleges as well. While addressing a press conference very recently, he said that Yoga has been recognized as a sport by the government of India and sports quota in jobs will now apply to Yoga players.
GD Sharma said the inclusion of Yoga at schools and college would open new avenues for the youth as a career. He said that HPYSA has launched a statewide drive to connect youth in the Hill state with Yoga. It’s all set to organize the first online State level Yogasana Contest in March and winners, thereof, will participate in the national championship to be held from March 24 to 26.
HPYSA is affiliated with the National Yogasana Sports Association, a body recognized by the central ministry of youth affairs and sports, he added.
Sharma, a former professor of HP University, has been instrumental in promoting Yoga across the globe when he was posted in Indonesia by the government of India with a diplomat status from 1992 to 1997
He said HPYSA will make all efforts to create job opportunities for youth through Yoga.
About Recognition of Yogasana as a Competitive Sport.
On December 17, 2020, the Ministry of AYUSH and Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports had announced the formal recognition of Yogasana as a competitive sport.
The Government of India had said that Yogasana is an integral and important component of Yoga, which is psycho-physical in nature and popular across the globe for its efficacy in fitness and general wellness.
It had further added , “Yogasana becoming a sport will also ensure new technologies and new strategies being inducted into the disciplines, to benefit our athletes and officials towards building fruitful and fulfilling careers in this field”.
The government had also said that it was planning to include Yogasana as a Sport discipline in Khelo India and in the University Games and we will also pitch it at the National Games and in Olympics.
The AYUSH ministry had said that the sports discipline of Yogasana is likely to have 51 medals in 4 events & 7 categories. The proposed events for both men and women include Traditional Yogasana, Artistic Yogasana (Single), Artistic Yogasana (Pair), Rhythmic Yogasana (Pair), Free Flow/Group Yogasana, Individual All Round – Championship and Team Championship.
According to the AYUSH, following steps or activities will form part of the road map and the future development of Yogasana Sport:
- A pilot Yogasana Competition named as “National Individual Yogasana Sports Championship (Virtual Mode) to be held in early 2021.
- Launching of an Annual Calendar of competitions, events and programs of Yogasana sport.
- Development of Automated Scoring System for the Yogasana Championship.
- Courses for Coaches, Referees, Judges and Directors of competitions.
- Coaching camps for players.
- Launch of a League of Yogasana, to ensure a career and social status for performers, experts and practitioners, to create Sports Stars among Yogasana athletes.
- To introduce Yogasana as a Sport discipline in National Games, Khelo India and international sports events.
- Steps to create job opportunities for Yogasana athletes.
Campus Watch
HPBOSE Exam 2021: Schedule for Class 10th and 12th Exams Changed

Shimla-Himachal Pradesh Board of School Education (HPBOSE) would soon issue new date-sheets for yearly exams of Classes 10th and 12th as the state Department of Higher Education has asked it to re-schedule the exams. Instead of May, now, the examinations would be held from April 20, 2020, informed the Director of Higher Education, Amarjeet Kumar Sharma today.
He said the process of making changes in the schedule has been initiated. However, the Board had not released any official statement regarding the change till the time of writing.
The pre-board examinations for the board classes would be held from March 8 to March 20 in the morning session. Practical exams would be conducted from April 8 to April 17. Results of pre-board exams would be declared by March 25, and low-scoring students would be given extra classes till April 15.
The recommendations were made based on the opinion and suggestions received from parents and various teacher associations, the Director informed. As per these suggestions, conducting the board exams in May would cause a delay in starting the 2021-22 session.
The HPBOSE is expected to release new date-sheets during the next couple of days.
The Chairman, HPBOSE, Suresh Kumar Soni, today informed that the exams for Class 9th and 11th would be held from March 8 to March 20 in the evening session, and results would be declared by March 31. The new session is likely to begin from April 1, 2021.
Like every year, HPBOSE would provide questions papers to all government and private schools affiliated with the Board. Principals/headmasters of these schools have been asked to submit the requirement for questions papers based on the number of students. The last date for submitting the required details is February 7, he informed. The Board has also asked the school heads to deposit Rs. 100 fee per student for question papers online.
Campus Watch
Proposed HPBOSE Date-Sheets for 8th, 10th, 12th Exams 2021 Issued, Objections Invited till Feb 10

Shimla-Date-sheets for Class 10, 12, and 8 yearly examinations for the 2020-21 session have been released by the Himachal Pradesh Board of School Education yesterday. These schedules would apply to both regular and State Open School (SOS) students.
These are proposed date-sheets, which have been uploaded on the official HPBOSE website and objections have been invited from teachers, students, and parents. Objections can be mailed on www.hpbose2011@gmail.com till 10 February 2021.
According to the proposed HPBOSE date-sheets, examinations for 10th class would be held from May 5 to May 20, 2021. For 12th class, exams would be held from May 4 to May 29. Exams for 8th class would be held from May 5 to May 19. While timings for class 10th and 8th would be 8:45 to 12 PM, class 12th exams would be conducted from 1:45 PM to 5 PM.
The Board has already decided that yearly examinations of HPBOSE for Class 10th and 12th for the session 2020-21 would not be conducted online. The decision was taken considering the fact that several regions of the state do not have Internet connectivity due to which students face difficulties.
HPBOSE Class 12 Date-Sheet 2021
HPBOSE Class 10 Date-Sheet 2021
HPBOSE Class 8 Date-Sheet 2021
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