While last year, the Delhi government had paid the exam fees for all class X and XII students, this year it is not doing so, citing a financial crunch.(Representational Image)Acknowledging that civil society has stepped up to help students pay their CBSE examination fees, the Delhi government on Friday expressed its own inability to help students of schools run by it to shoulder these fees.
In a circular to heads of all Delhi government schools, the education department stated that “a number of requests have been received from parents expressing their inability to pay Board Examination Fee for their children studying in class X and XII due to loss of income in the ongoing pandemic”.
While last year, the Delhi government had paid the exam fees for all class X and XII students, this year it is not doing so, citing a financial crunch. Following an increase in the exam fee by the board last year, this fee is more than Rs 2,000 for most students.
In the circular, the education department states that it had approached the CBSE asking for a waiver of the fee this year for students of all government, municipal and government aided schools in Delhi, but that the board “expressed its inability to waive off the Examination Fee”.
Last year, when the Board had increased its exam fees, it had stated that it needed to collect increased fees because its source of revenue had shrunk after the National Testing Agency took over the running of various professional and entrance examinations from it.
“Our circumstances have not changed this year and we need the revenue from these fees to conduct the examinations. We do not get any Grant-in-Aid from the government for this,” said a CBSE official.
The education department circular went on to acknowledge the role currently being played by non-government organisations and citizens to help students across the city pay these fees in the absence of government support, and asked schools to maintain a clear record of these contributions. The Indian Express has reported that various organisations and individuals have donated money to schools and students to fund the fees, and have also organised fundraisers for the purpose. One of these was 8-year old Adhiraj Sejwal, who had started a fundraiser with his parents — one of whom is a government school teacher — and has raised around Rs. 1.5 lakh after the report. It will be covering the fees for close to 70 students.
“All heads of govt schools may entertain the willing persons/organisations for the payment of Board Examination Fee. They must maintain proper record of all such transactions which includes acknowledgment to the donor and information to the parents whose ward’s fee has been paid,” the circular said.
📣 The Indian Express is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@indianexpress) and stay updated with the latest headlines
For all the latest Delhi News, download Indian Express App.