The High Court of Madhya Pradesh has cleared privately managed schools, including several run by Christian churches, of allegations that they charged excessive fees. The court ruled that state authorities acted beyond their legal powers and created what it described as a “very hostile atmosphere”.
In a ruling dated 2 December and made public on 13 December, a division bench of Justices Vivek Rusia and Pradeep Mittal said the actions taken by state and district officials amounted to unlawful interference in the management of schools.
The case followed police action in May last year, when 20 people were arrested in Jabalpur district, including a Protestant bishop, a Catholic priest and principals of Church-run schools. They were among 71 individuals linked to 11 private schools accused of violating state guidelines on school fees. All were later released after the Supreme Court granted bail.
Earlier this year, in January, the district education officer ordered four schools, two of them Church-managed, to refund around 380 million rupees (about US$4.6 million). Authorities claimed the schools had collected excess fees over six academic years, from 2018-19 to 2024-25.
The High Court ruled that the order demanding refunds was not legally sustainable. It said officials had exceeded their authority and failed to provide sufficient evidence to support claims that schools had unlawfully increased fees.
State authorities had alleged that the schools raised fees by 30 to 40 per cent, exceeding the legal limit of 10 per cent without government approval. However, the court noted that these claims were not properly established.
The judges also criticised district officials for holding public hearings on school fees, during which school leaders and teachers were allegedly humiliated before parents and the wider public. The court barred such hearings, warning that the approach had damaged trust between parents and school management and harmed students’ education.
Father Davis George, vicar general of the Catholic Diocese of Jabalpur, welcomed the ruling, saying it confirmed that Church-run schools had been wrongly targeted. He said staff members were harassed and even jailed despite having done nothing wrong.
Speaking after the judgment, he said any genuine concerns should have been handled fairly and proportionately. “Such actions undermine democratic values and harm those who are serving society through education,” he said.
Father Thankachal Jose, who oversees legal matters for the diocese, said the public shaming of teachers and damage to the schools’ reputation had serious consequences. He added that authorities should now be held accountable for their conduct.
Adapted from UCA News.
