Uttarakhand Education Secretary R Meenakshi Sundaram on Wednesday issued an order directing all government or private schools in the state to collect tuition fees from students after situation, created by the threat of the spread of COVID-19 global pandemic, normalises.
In a letter addressed to the District Magistrates, Sundaram said: "It has come to the notice of the government that certain private schools are pressurising the parents of wards to submit the tuition fees immediately. This is not right when there is a complete lockdown imposed in the state to contain the spread of COVID-19."
"Hence, orders are issued to stop the collection of fees by all the government and private schools under CBSE, ICSE or state boards. Fees should be collected once the situation normalises," she added.
Four persons have tested positive for COVID-19 in Uttarakhand including one foreign national, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said on Wednesday. India has recorded 606 cases of positive cases which includes 43 foreign nationals. Ten people have died of COVID-19.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had on Tuesday announced a 21-day lockdown in the entire country effective from midnight to deal with the spread of coronavirus, saying that "social distancing" is the only option to deal with the disease, which spreads rapidly.
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