HC stays order to close Vidya Bharti-run primary school

The Calcutta High Court today stayed a West Bengal government order to close down a primary school run by Vidya Bharti, an RSS-inspired educational body, at Karandighi in North Dinajpur district.
Justice Arijit Banerjee stayed the April 10 order of the district education inspector of the North Dinajpur district to close down the school on a plea by Sarada Seva Trust, governed by Vidya Bharti. The court stayed the government order till July end.
The district inspector had ordered closure of the school accusing it of being run in violation of the rules.
While staying the school closure order, the bench sought the government's stand on the Trust's plea against the closure within a fortnight after the summer vacation. It also asked the Trust to file its counter reply to the government's affidavit.

Appearing for the petitioner, counsel Loknath Chatterjee submitted that education is imparted at the school, running since 2005 at Karandighi in North Dinajpur district, keeping in mind the social, cultural and philosophical ethos of the country.
Chatterjee submitted that the memo be stayed since the district inspector does not have the jurisdiction to issue such closure orders in terms of the West Bengal Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Rules, 2012.
The counsel for the state opposed the prayer by the Trust, claiming that they were not following the rules framed by the state with regard to running of schools.

The Vidya Bharti Akhil Bhartiya Shiksha Sansthan, an RSS-inspired educational organisation, runs 4,639 primary schools across the country, according to its website.