DPS students in a fix as CBSE cancels affiliation

Gujarat also withdraws recognition after the Nithyananda Ashram controversy.

Over 800 students of Delhi Public School (DPS) in Ahmedabad (East) are faced with uncertainly following the school’s move to down the shutters after the Central Board of Secondary Education and the Gujarat government cancelled their affiliations after the Nithyananda Ashram controversy.

Parents’ protest

Hundreds of parents on Tuesday staged a sit-in and blamed the Gujarat government for not helping the students, who have been left in lurch. A section of parents has approached the High Court contending that the school should not be shut down.

The withdrawal of the school’s affiliation was based on several grounds, including allegedly forging a No Objection Certificate (NOC), leasing the school premises to set up the Ashram without taking permission from the authorities and other irregularities.

The CBSE issued the cancellation order after the Gujarat government’s education wing submitted a report exposing the irregularities committed by the school management.

After the Central board, an arm of the Ministry of Human Resources, cancelled the affiliation, the Gujarat government also cancelled the permission for primary school from 1 to 8 standard.

The State Education department has also sought details, including the trust registration copy, recruitment of teachers and fees levied on students.

Police complaint

The Education department filed a police complaint against school trustees, Manjula Puja Shrof and Hiten Vasant, who have approached the court seeking anticipatory bail.

“We are trying to resolve the matter to ensure that the future of students is not affected,” said Education Minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama.

The CBSE, however, has allowed the students of Class X and XII to take the board exam to be conducted in 2020.

Forged NOC

Earlier, a preliminary inquiry by the Education department had revealed that the DPS has obtained CBSE affiliation based on a forged NOC of the State government. In its report, the Education department had stated that it never had given NOC to the school.

However, Kalorex Education and Research Foundation, which runs the school in Ahmedabad, obtained the CBSE affiliation allegedly after forging an NOC in 2012.

The school got embroiled in a controversy after a police complaint against Nithyananda Ashram located on the school premises, for illegally confining minor children in the ashram.

The police have arrested two women managers of the ashram while booking controversial godman Nithyananda, who is believed to be out of the country.