J&K Fee Fixation and Regulation Committee once constituted for regulating fee structure for private schools should have been empowered to regulate fee structures for coaching centres as well as Central Government way back in 2014 has told Supreme Court that it is for the Governments of concerned States and Union Territories to regulate both the fee structure and as well as overall working of the coaching centres in their concerned states and Union Territories. While Bihar Government has already taken several strong measures to regulate the fee structure of coaching centres across the state, the Jammu & Kashmir Government despite having constituted Fee Fixation and Regulation Committee (FFRC) long back is yet to extend the powers of regulating fee structure of coaching centres to the said committee already declared a statutory body by the Government. Not only delay in extending the powers of regulating the fee structure of coaching centres to Fee Fixation & Regulation Committee (FFRC) but also delay in the appointment of a new chairperson for the said fee regulation committee at the time of commencement of coaching for several classes and NEET examination at several coaching centres in both Kashmir Valley and Jammu division has further deepened the already deepening chaos and confusion over the regulation of fee structures at coaching centres across Jammu & Kashmir. Asking Coaching centres to just register themselves with the offices of the Concerned Deputy Commissioners and district offices of School Education Department for the purposes of inspecting the seating and teaching arrangements is by all standards of understandabilities no regulation when the regulation of fee structure and seating and teaching arrangements at the coaching centres is by all standards of understandabilities the domain of the J&K Fee Fixation & Regulation Committee as it is in case of private schools .
“Since delay in both the appointment of a new Chairperson at J&K Fee Fixation and Regulation Committee and as well as well as the extension of powers of regulating the fee structure of coaching centres to the said fee fixation committee go against the interests of both the students and as well as very basic spirit of institutional accountability, it is for the Government to take a call on both the appointment of a new Chairperson at J&K Fee Fixation and Regulation Committee and as well as well as the extension of powers of regulating the fee structure of coaching centres to the said fee fixation committee at the earliest”.
While the coaching centres in the absence of a Chairperson at J&K Fee Fixation & Regulation Committee (FFRC) and due to delay in extension of powers of regulating the fee structure to the said fee fixation committee are imposing fee structure at their own whims and wishes over the students and the parents without showing any respect to their grievances, the Director School Education Kashmir does not take any serious note of the increasing grievances of the parents and the students on the unilateral hikes in coaching fee by the coaching centres across Kashmir. Since delay in both the appointment of a new Chairperson at J&K Fee Fixation and Regulation Committee and as well as well as the extension of powers of regulating the fee structure of coaching centres to the said fee fixation committee go against the interests of both the students and as well as very basic spirit of institutional accountability, it is for the Government to take a call on both the appointment of a new Chairperson at J&K Fee Fixation and Regulation Committee and as well as well as the extension of powers of regulating the fee structure of coaching centres to the said fee fixation committee at the earliest.
