A deputation of Private Schools of different districts along with the Executive
members of central body of J &K Private schools Association under the chairmanship of Kamal Gupta
called on Shokat Mohd. Malik (KAS) 1st Appellate Authority/Joint Director School Education, Jammu.
Members highlighted the problems which included difficulties in obtaining approval of the management
committee, regular harassment to unaided private schools of Jammu division to furnish the irrelevant
details under RTI Act- 2009 by the Chief Education Officers of different districts.
General Secretary Association, Ajay Gupta briefed the 1st Appellate Authority /Joint Director School
Education that in RTI Act 2005, Exemption from disclosure of information is categorically specified in
section 8 of CHAPTER II at page number 7 and 8 simultaneously. Same precedent was adopted by the
erstwhile Government of Jammu and Kashmir which adopted RTI -Act on March 20, 2009. Moreover on May 13,
2011 the erstwhile J & K state information commission has also issued a circular regarding the
enforcement of RTI Act in J & K through which it is categorically pertinent that unaided/ self financed
Private schools do not fall under the ambit of RTI-2009, he added.
To settle this ambiguous problem regarding RTI Act-2009 for the unaided / self financed private school,
members demanded clear cut instructions for all officials of different districts of J & K. They also
demanded transparent, time bound and simple mechanism for the approval of management committee to save
this venture from harassment and exploitation.
1st Appellate Authority /Joint Director School Education Jammu listened to the members patiently and
said that the directions issued by any Chief Education Officer to any unaided / self financed private
schools to appear before the 1st Appellate Authority /Joint Director School Education is surprising and
irrelevant. He assured the members to establish judicious and transparent mechanism for the approval of
the management committee to stop exploitation & harassment at all the stages.
The members who accompanied the deputation were Rameshwar Mengi(Vice President), Sanjeev Luthra (Member
Central Body), Ajay Singh (Member Central Body), Satpaul Mansotra (Distt. Kathua), Jatinder Heera
(Distt. Reasi), Ram Parkash (Distt. Udhampur ), Raj Dev Singh, Vir Vikram, Malhar Singh, Pardeep Kumar
, Jaswant Raj, Rashpaul Singh,Naresh Kumar , Rajeev Luthra etc.