Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir High Court on Wednesday asked the Divisional Commissioners of Jammu as well as Kashmir to constitute a team of two officers to inspect the Coaching Centers and submit their detailed report about the facilities provided to the students, fee they charge from them and whether they follow the rules.
Hearing a Public Interest Litigation, a division bench of Justices Mohammad Yaqoob Mir and Ali Mohammad Magrey also directed the divisional commissioners to seal the centers found not adhering to the rules.
It also asked respective Directors School Education to submit complete list of all the private coaching centers operating in their sway within four days.
Slew of directions have been issued on 30.12.2014. The private tuition centers are governed by the J&K Regulation of Private Tuition Centers Rules of 2010. Time and again it was emphasized that the rules should be strict adhered to but the authorities concerned perhaps are not able to control these private tuition centers that is why day-in and day-out news items appears in the daily newspapers highlighting the exploitation and non-adherence of the rules, the court observed.
The list of all the private coaching centers operating shall be furnished by respective Directors School Education within four days, the court.
In addition the court said, Divisional Commissioners, Jammu and Kashmir, shall constitute a team of two officers who shall inspect the Coaching Centers and submit their detailed report as to whether all the facilities are being provided to the students; the fee they are charging from them and as to whether the applicable rules are being followed strictly.
The constituted committee shall submit its report on the next date (of hearing), the court said and posted the December 27.
Divisional Commissioner of the respective divisions wherever they find that any coaching center is not adhering to the rules shall seal that particular Centre and report compliance, the court added. .
On 12 December 2014, the High Court had ordered closure of all unregistered coaching centres forthwith.
It had also ordered constitution of a three member committee headed by Divisional Commissioner Kashmir with Director School Education and Inspector General of Police, Kashmir, as its members.
The Committee shall forthwith close down all unregistered tuition and coaching centres wherever functioning in the Kashmir Division, the court had said.
The panel was ordered to be constituted after the court was informed that there was non-implementation of the Jammu & Kashmir Regulation of Private Tuition Centres Rules of 2010, calling for among others constitution of a monitoring committee.
The committee will function till such time, the Competent Authority and Monitoring Committee, in terms of the Rules of 2010, are appointed.
The court had however made it clear that in case the Competent Authority and Monitoring Committee stands already appointed, even then, the Committee shall function till further orders from the Court to give effect to the Rules.
The court also directed the committee to forthwith ensure keeping of police personnel on duty in the areas where the tuition and coaching centres are located and functioning.
Besides, it had also directed the panel to ensure video surveillance by installation of CCTVs outside the tuition centres.
The Committee shall immediately direct all the Deputy Commissioners of Kashmir Division to visit all the tuition, coaching centres along with Chief Education Officers of respective districts and find out as to whether appropriate facilities, in terms of Rules of 2010, are being provided to the students.
They shall also ensure that the tuition and the coaching centres notify and display monthly tuition fee charged from the students as well as detailed particulars of its faculty members including their qualification and experience, the court had said.
The Committee shall also ensure that all the registered tuition, coaching centres provide free admission up to 10% of its total intake capacity in each class, course for the students, who happen to be destitute, orphans or who belong to the families living Below the Poverty Line.
The court had also directed the owners of tuition centres/coaching centres to take necessary steps in maintaining moral values in and around institutions.
It is further provided that any untoward incident which may happen within the premises of the tuition , coaching centres or in their close vicinity will make the owners, managers of the (institutions) liable of the legal action, which will be initiated against them including closing down of the (institutions).
The tuition and coaching centres functioning in the Kashmir Division, the bench said, shall file undertaking before the Registrar Judicial of the Court, within seven days, that they will comply with the mandate contained in Rules of 2010 and the directions by it.
The court passed the directions while hearing PIL filed by social activist Ahsan Untoo through his counsel advocate Mir Majid.
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