Increase in income limit for fee exemption sought

Updated on: Monday, November 21, 2011

A PIL filed by city-based NGO 'Forum Against Commercialisation of Education' (FACE) has sought to increase the income limit for fee exemption for students from economically backward class.

Since 1993, the benefit has been given to students from the families with annual income of less than Rs 15,000. The PIL states that this limit is very low, and should be raised to Rs 1 lakh per year.

Bombay High Court today asked the state to file a reply. pision bench of Chief Justice Mohit Shah and Justice R S Dalvi observed that "even a peon's annual income would be more than Rs 1 lakh".

The bench allowed petitioners to amend the petition, so as to increase the limit further. The petition pointed out that if a family is earning Rs 15,000 per year, it would come to Rs 1,250 per month and Rs.41.66 per day, which is less than the wages under the Minimum Wages Act.

The hearing was adjourned to December 12. In a related but separate PIL, which alleges that the state is not reimbursing the fees of students from SC/ST category studying in private unaided schools, the state today told the High Court that it has decided to pay the fees of only those whose family income is less than Rs 1 lakh per year.

Increase in income limit for fee exemption sought

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