PUNE: As many as 25 students of Amanora School in Hadapsar were issued transfer certificates on Wednesday over non-payment of fees, triggering a protest of parents against the institution’s management.The school management identified 278 students from Nursery to Standard IX, whose fees were due. It sent transfer certificates to the parents of 25 of these students through courier on Wednesday.“The management decided to remove the students after giving their parents numerous opportunities to deposit the fees before the academic year ended. We have removed 25 students. More students will be removed in the days to come. They will be reinstated if their fees are deposited,” said Sunil Tarte, the vice-president of Amanora Township, which runs the CBSE-affiliated school.A large number of parents on Wednesday launched an agitation outside the school after the news spread that the institution had started taking action against the students for not paying the fees. They submitted a complaint application at the Hadapsar police station against the school management, claiming that it cannot remove students under Section 16 of the Right to Education Act. They also threatened to go on an indefinite hunger strike and file a petition in Bombay high court if the students were not reinstated.Senior inspector Sunil Tambe, the Hadapsar police station in-charge, said, “We cannot take cognisance of the parents’ complaint as the issue is related to the education department. Its officials should look into it.”Sonali Kodre, one of the agitating parents, said, “As per the RTE Act, students up to Standard VIII cannot be removed from a school. The drastic action taken by the school is illegal. The school increased the fees to Rs85,000 for the academic year 2018-19. There is no fairness and transparency in it. On March 1, we met the education minister and discussed the fees hike issue. The minister sought time to study the matter and take a decision, which would be binding on the parents and the school. But before the decision was taken, the students were removed.”Another parent, Dhiraj Gedam, said, “We have deposited Rs49,950, but the school is asking Rs35,000 more. It is not acceptable. We have been asked to make an additional payment of Rs12,000 and Rs15,000 for extra-curricular activities and annual fees, which is not refundable. This is capitation fee and we are opposed to it. We want the school to take back the students.”

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