Dr. Rajendra Pansia, a 2014-batch IAS officer and District Magistrate of Sambhal, has imposed a fine of Rs. 1 lakh each on 33 private schools in the district for compelling students to purchase books from private publishers through exclusive vendors. The action was taken under the Uttar Pradesh Self-Financed Independent Schools (Regulation of Fees) Act.
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Following an inspection of schools affiliated to CBSE and ICSE boards, it was found that these institutions were using private publisher books instead of NCERT books and forcing students to buy them from selected shops, violating education norms.
DM Pansia directed all penalized schools to deposit the fine within a week and submit proof of payment to the District School Inspector (DIOS). He warned that stricter action would follow if schools failed to comply.
The district administration, aiming to curb the arbitrariness of private schools, had carried out inspections at 34 schools on April 16, based on DM Pansia’s orders. A total of 34 separate inspection teams were deployed and uncovered several irregularities, including non-compliance with book guidelines and suspected fee-related malpractices.
DIOS Shyama Kumar confirmed that the inspection findings were compiled into a report, which led to the punitive action taken by the district administration.
