A few days after the student union raised concerns about city schools forcing parents to buy uniforms, textbooks, and other items from selected shops, the District Education Officer (DEO) issued a warning to schools on Wednesday.
DEO RM Chaudhari said that such actions go against the Right to Education (RTE) Act of 2009, and strict action will be taken against schools that break the rules.
The DEO also said that schools must follow only the textbooks approved by the Gujarat government. They cannot force parents to buy notebooks or stationery from specific shops.
Meanwhile, the NSUI asked the DEO to file a police complaint against a bookshop in East Ahmedabad, which had deals with many schools and was selling books at higher prices.