Is Doon School Running 'Illegally'? RTI Says Rahul Gandhi's Alma Mater Doesn't Have State Permission

Malameran

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posted on 5 years ago — updated on 1 second ago

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In an RTI reply, the Uttarakhand education department said that Doon School does not have 'no objection certificate', which is a prerequisite to run a school. A probe is underway in this regard.

Dehradun: The prestigious Doon School, where some of India's renowned have studied, is in middle of a controversy over 'no objection certificate' (NOC). Uttarakhand's child rights body has asked the state education department to probe whether the institution is running "illegally".

A controversy kicked off after a local resident, Jagmeet Singh, filed an RTI to seek documents from the education department that were furnished by the school. In its reply, the department said that Doon School does not have an NOC, which is a prerequisite to run a school.

Based on the reply, the complainant approached Uttarakhand child rights body. "On Tuesday, the Dehradun chief education officer informed us that a probe has been initiated after our office raised the issue," Usha Negi, Chairperson of the Uttarakhand State Commission for the Protection of Child Rights, told News18.

"How come such a prestigious school was running without this important certificate for so long?" Negi questioned.

Established in 1935, Doon School is one of the renowned boarding schools for boys. The popular alumni of the school include former PM Rajiv Gandhi, Congress president Rahul Gandhi, Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh, actor Ali Fazal, Chandrachur Singh, historian Ramachandra Guha and economist Swaminathan Aiyar.

Meanwhile, in a statement, the school said that it was a law abiding institution and very careful about its responsibilities and reputation.

"We have all documentation in place which have been furnished whenever asked for and will do so in future as well. The School is not in receipt of any intimation from any Statutory Authority informing the school of any purported non-compliance of any applicable law," Piyoosh Malviya, director (public relations) of the Doon School said.

Earlier in its communication with the education department, the school maintained that it has recognition from International Baccalaureate Organization, Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations and Cambridge Assessment International Education.

The education department officials, however, remained tight-lipped when approached by News18.