Use of Delhi Public School name, logo by franchisees under High Court scanner

The Delhi High Court has sought responses of the city government and the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) on a public interest litigation (PIL), alleging that societies like Delhi Public School Society (DPSS) were indulging in commercialisation of education by allowing their franchisee schools to use their name and logo for huge sums of money.

A Bench of Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice Jayant Nath issued notice to the Delhi government and the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and sought their replies on the plea by some persons claiming to be alumni of schools run by DPSS.

The court has listed the matter for further hearing on January 8, 2016.

The petitioners, Harshpal Singh Sawhney and Rupesh Bhadoria, who claim to be the alumni of schools run by DPSS, as well as Sunil Roy, who claims his children study in one of the schools run by the society, have alleged that DPSS was “trading” in its brand name and logo to “generate revenue and extract monetary gains”.

Advocate Anil Airi, appearing for the petitioners, argued that this practise amounts to “commercialisation of education” and was a violation of CBSE rules and affiliation bye-laws.

The petition, filed through advocate Imtiaz Ahmed, has sought an inquiry into “nature of agreements and transactions between educational societies and franchisee schools and to take appropriate action against them”.

The petitioners have sought quashing of “the illegal joint venture agreements and memorandum of understandings entered into by respondent 5 (DPSS) and other similarly placed societies pertaining to granting of/operation of franchisee schools.”

They have alleged that DPSS generates around Rs 30-35 crore annually from its franchisee schools, in India and abroad, by charging lakhs as annual maintenance fees.

Apart from that, the society at the time of entering into an agreement with a franchisee also charges around Rs 25 lakh for use of its brand name and logo, the petition has claimed.