Sushil Modi says state government to regulate fee charged by private schools in state

Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi Wednesday said the state government would bring a bill to regulate fee charged by private schools in the state.

"The state government will bring a Bill to regulate the (excess) fee charged by private schools in the state," he said while addressing a function organized on "Teacher's Day" here in the state capital.

States like Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu have already made statutory provision to regulate the fees charged by private schools and hence Bihar would also bring such statute, the deputy chief minister said.

Sushil Modi, who is also the state's Finance minister, said that 13 new degree colleges would be opened in the state besides making digital classrooms in high schools of the state.

The deputy chief minister, who made the announcements in the presence of state's Education minister Krishna Nandan Prasad Verma, did not specify the time-limit on bringing the bill or opening new degree colleges or providing the facilities of digital classrooms.

Enumerating his government's achievements, DyCM said that around 1.30 crore bicycles have been given among students (girls & boys) of the state under "bicycle scheme.

"Around one crore students (girls & boys) of class 1 to class 8 have benefited by government's school uniform scheme every year, he said. Stating that Principal along with at least one teacher are engaged for entire day's work in the running of Mid Day Meal (MDM) scheme, he said that the state government has requested the Centre to transfer the funds meant for the scheme directly into the bank accounts of students so as to enable teachers to concentrate on teaching and studies.

The state government had earmarked Rs 24,698 crore for education department in 2017-18, he said adding that the government has made a whopping allocation of Rs 34,333 crore to the department, an increase of Rs 8,000 crore over the previous year.

The state government has ensured 50 percent reservation for women in the recruitment of teachers in the state and as a result, the percentage of female teachers has gone up to 39 percent from 19 percent in schools, the DyCM said.