Madras High Court continues to reject circular directing private schools in TN to display fee structure on notice boards

The court was informed that a person named M. Liyakath Ali filed an application under the Right to Information Act, 2005 in 2022 seeking information on the fee structure of private schools. Representative image. File | Photo credit: S. Siva Saravanan

The Madras High Court on Friday (June 5, 2026) refused to grant an interim stay on a circular issued by the Director of Private Schools on June 1, 2026 directing all private schools in Tamil Nadu to display their fee structures on their notice boards.

Dismissing the application for interim relief, Justice M. Dhandapani said he would prefer to take up the plea filed by the All India Private Educational Institutions Association, represented by its Chennai-based general secretary K. Palaniappan, for final hearing after two weeks.

The petitioners’ association challenged the June 1 circular and also the Tamil Nadu Information Commission (TNIC) order dated May 25, 2026, pursuant to which the circular was issued. He urged the court to quash the TNIC order and the circular and stay them pending disposal of the main case.

What is it about?

The court was informed that a person named M. Liyakath Ali filed an application under the Right to Information Act, 2005 in 2022 seeking information on the fee structure of private schools. The request was addressed to the Public Information Officer (PIO)/Personal Assistant to the Director of Education, Coimbatore.

The PIO forwarded the request to the District Education Officer (DEO), who then forwarded it to individual schools in the district. Aggrieved by this, the complainant filed a second appeal with the TNIC complaining that the information was not provided to him.

On 25 May 2026, TNIC issued comprehensive instructions on the matter. Pursuant to these directions, the Director of Private Schools issued the impugned circular directing all private schools to display their fee structures on their notice boards, the petitioner association said.

Challenging the TNIC order and the circular on various grounds, the association said that such directions and instructions were issued without analyzing whether the RTI Act would apply to private unaided educational institutions and whether such institutions would come under the definition of ‘public authority’.

Counsel for the petitioner submitted that it was also necessary to analyze whether the TNIC exceeded its authority under the RTI Act by issuing suo motu directions of a legislative and regulatory nature, constituting a general policy mandate for all private schools functioning in the State.

After hearing preliminary arguments, the judge decided to take over the action for final disposal based on the submission of counter-affidavits by the respondents.

Published – 05 Jun 2026 12:56 IST