Madras high court stays annual undertaking rule for private schools; event restrictions remain

CHENNAI: Madras high court on Thursday passed an interim stay against a latest amendment made to the Tamil Nadu Private Schools (Regulation) Rules, making it mandatory for schools to file an annual undertaking that no external organisations will be permitted to organise any events during and outside school hours.

The rule was introduced in view of complaints that RSS is been permitted in private schools to orgainse its Shakhas.

According to the new rules, failure to file the mandatory annual undertaking will face cancellation of recognition accorded.

On Thursday, when the plea moved by Saraswathi Vidyalaya Matriculation Higher Secondary School challenging the amendments made to the regulation prohibiting such events even during outside school hours came up for hearing, the first bench of Chief Justice Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari and Justice G Arul Murugan granted the interim stay till next hearing.

The court, however, refused to grant a stay against operation of the entire amendment that prohibits such events on the school premises. “Granting a complete stay against the amendments would amount to granting the final relief sought in the plea,” the judges said.

Advocate general P S Raman for Tamil Nadu submitted that the schools should not misuse the interim stay against filing the undertaking and violate the prohibition. To this, the court clarified that the stay is only against the filing of undertaking and not against the prohibition and other conditions imposed under the regulation.