DRDO only partially funded school in Dehradun, did not manage it; mgmt transferred to DAV trust to improve efficiency: Def society

NEW DELHI: The transfer of management of Raksha Anusandhan School (RAV) in Dehradun -- partially funded by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) -- from Defence Research Educational Society (DRES) to DAV College Trust & Management Society from April 20 this year has been opposed by staff and teachers of the school, who fear that their salary structure will change for the worse.

RAV, Dehradun is a co-educational, CBSE-affiliated school established in 1993. “DRDO, which had earlier started providing deficit (partial) funding to seven such schools to help children of its employees get school admission easily in far-flung places, has now decided to let the professionally run education trust run these schools,” a DRDO official told TOI. Besides the Dehradun school, management of five others, including those in Pune, Hyderabad and Chandigarh, has been handed over to the education trust.

“This transition is aimed at ensuring improved governance, operational efficiency and sustained institutional development,” the DRES president said in a statement.





“DRDO was only financially supporting RAV and such financial support does not imply ownership, direct control or administrative authority. The current employees of RAV managed by DRES are not govt employees. Their employment is governed by rules and regulations under DRES bye-laws and not by govt service conditions,” the president clarified.

“All stakeholders are requested to take note of the above clarifications. Any information or interpretation contrary to this may be treated as inaccurate,” the president added.

Despite the clarifications, teachers and staff of RAV Dehradun continue to protest the change in management.