Karnataka HC issued notice to CBSE schools

The Karnataka high court on Thursday ordered issuance of notice to the state government, CBSE and ICSE schools upon a write appeal filed by Association of schools for the Indian schools certificate (Karnataka) challenging the single bench verdict.

The appeal came up before a division bench headed by chief justice J S Khehar.

The appellants have challenged the Jan. 10, 2011 verdict of the single bench which had held that the amended provision to Karnataka Education Act 1998 wherein ICSE and CBSE schools were exempted from the purview of the Education Act as "bad in law and unconstitutional''.

The single bench while quashing the circulars issued by Air Force School, Bishop Cotton Girls School and others (all petitioners) with regard to fee hike had observed that they can affect hike only in terms of the Karnataka Education Act and rules.

"These ICSE/CBSE schools are private, unaided schools deriving various concessions and exemptions from the state...there is no reason why they are excluded from the operation of the provisions of Karnataka Education Act,'' the single bench had said.