FFRC reprimands school authorities for multiple wrongs
By: Jehangir Rashid
SRINAGAR: There is an old saying that rules are for fools and the influential manage to run away from the system. This holds true in case of a higher secondary school operating illegally in Srinagar, the summer capital of the union territory of Jammu & Kashmir.
The laid-back attitude of the people at helm can be gauged by the fact that it took the concerned department more than one and half years to respond to a complaint lodged by a parent and compile a report. The report has reached the office of Director School Education Kashmir, but action is yet to be taken.
On June 3, 2024 a complaint was lodged against a higher secondary school operating in the Gogji Bagh area of the Srinagar district. In the complaint it was written that the school is operating illegally. The complaint was lodged with the office of Director School Education Kashmir.
The complaint pertained to illegal operation of the higher secondary classes by the school without any authorization. It was also given in the complaint that the school is charging admission fee in violation of the government norms and that the school prescribes books other than the one prescribed by Jammu & Kashmir Board of School Education.
The office of Director School Education Kashmir forwarded the complaint to the office of Chief Education Officer (CEO) Srinagar on January 17, 2025 with a direction that a report in the matter should be sent within a period of five days. The CEO Srinagar in utter disregard to the directions of his boss paid no attention for six months and it was only on June 20, 2025 that a two-member committee was formed to look into the matter.
In August 2025 the complainant is asked to report before the committee so as to present his point of view and give documentary evidence. Following this the committee submitted the report on September 6, 2025. For reasons best known to him the CEO Srinagar sits on the file for three months and forwards the report to the office of Director School Education Kashmir on December 15, 2025. The copy of the report was given to the complainant only on January 7, 2026.
In its report the office of CEO Srinagar has said that the allegations levelled by the complainant with respect to charging of admission fee and books other than those prescribed by the Board cannot be ruled out.
“The committee has come to the conclusion that the allegations levelled by the complainant cannot be ruled out although the school authorities tried to defend the allegations but they could not provide any ample proof to justify their reply,” reads the report submitted by CEO Srinagar to Director School Education Kashmir.
Since the issue has reached the office of Fee Fixation Regulation Committee (FFRC) the committee has ruled that Rs. 600 being charged from each student on account of smart classes should be refunded since there is no facility of smart classes in the school. The committee has directed the higher ups of the school to respond to the complaint that it is running higher secondary classes without permission within seven days from January 8, 2026.
The prolonged delays have triggered sharp reactions from parents and civil society members, who are now questioning whether the inaction amounts to deliberate shielding of illegalities. The complainant has appealed to the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) and registered an FIR to investigate the role of officials responsible for the delays.
“This is not mere inefficiency. When clear directions are ignored, timelines violated, and reports withheld, it raises serious suspicion of collusion and corruption,” the complainant said. The issue has also drawn the attention of concerned parents who have urged the School Education Department, the Government of Jammu and Kashmir, and senior political leadership, including Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and Education Minister Sakina Itoo, to intervene and ensure accountability.
When contacted Director School Education Kashmir, Naseer Ahmad Wani said that he is yet to see the report adding that action can be taken only after he goes through the report. “As on date I have not received the report. Once I get the same then only, I can act,” he said.