The FRC further issued a notice on January 8, 2026, directing the school to refund the surplus fees collected during the pendency of the case, amounting to Rs 2 crore to the parents of the students within a fortnight from the date of the notice. (Express Photo)THE GUJARAT High Court (HC) on Friday granted interim relief to St Xavier’s Primary School – a Jesuit-run education institute in Ahmedabad city, directing the Fee Regulatory Committee of Ahmedabad Zone to “not act upon” a notice dated January 8, 2026, issued to the school, which had directed the school to refund a sum of Rs 2 crore collected as “excess fees” for the year 2024-25 to the parents within a fortnight.A single judge Bench of Justice Nirzar Desai of the Gujarat HC is hearing a petition filed by the school challenging a December 22, 2025, order of the Fee Revision Committee (FRC), which confirmed a February 20, 2025 order of the Fee Regulatory Committee of Ahmedabad Zone sanctioning a fee of Rs 26,250 per year as against the Rs 39,360 proposed by the school. The FRC further issued a notice on January 8, 2026, directing the school to refund the surplus fees collected during the pendency of the case, amounting to Rs 2 crore to the parents of the students within a fortnight from the date of the notice.In its petition, the school has contended that the FRC confirmed the lower fee structure of Rs 26,250 for 2024-25, which was lower than the fees approved in previous years, ranging from Rs 30,800 in the academic session of 2017-18, Rs 37,485 in the academic year 2022-23 and Rs 39,359 in 2023-24. Since the school had collected the fees for the academic session 2024-25, on the basis of the fee approved in the previous year, the FRC had directed the school to refund the money of Rs 2 crore to the parents on the basis of the sanctioned lower fee structure in February 2025.Senior Advocate Percy Kavina, who is appearing for the school, along with Advocate Jamshed Kavina submitted that the school has been charging the fees only as per the February 20, 2025 order of the FRC and had also submitted an amount of Rs 2 crore before the committee and the said amount shall not be asked to be refunded during the pendency of the petition.In an oral order passed on Friday, the court issued notice to the respondents – State of Gujarat through Secretary of Education Department, Ahmedabad Zone Fee Regulatory Committee (Self-Financed School), Fee Revision Committee – Gandhinagar, Director of Primary Education (Gandhinagar), Ahmedabad District Education Officer and Ahmedabad District Principal Education Officer. The HC granted interim relief to the school, directing the FRC to not act upon the January 8 order.The court order states, “…the respondents are directed not to act upon the order dated 8.1.2026 passed by the Fee Regulatory Committee till further orders in view of the fact that the amount of difference has already been deposited to the extent of Rs 2 crore with the respondent concerned and, therefore, till the matter is decided finally, the question about refunding the fees to the parents would not arise.”As per the petition, the fee revision committee, while sanctioning a lower fee structure, had said that certain expenditures incurred by the school were disallowed by the Gujarat Self-financed Schools (Regulation of Fees) Act, 2017. The school has challenged the said reason before the Gujarat HC, stating in its petition that the expenditures were “necessary and permissible under the Act.”Aditi Raja is an Assistant Editor with The Indian Express, stationed in Vadodara, Gujarat, with over 20 years in the field. She has been reporting from the region of Central Gujarat and Narmada district for this newspaper since 2013, which establishes her as a highly Authoritative and Trustworthy source on regional politics, administration, and critical socio-economic and environmental issues. Expertise: Core Authority & Specialization: Her reporting is characterized by a comprehensive grasp of the complex factors shaping Central Gujarat, which comprises a vast tribal population, including: Politics and Administration: In-depth analysis of dynamics within factions of political parties and how it affects the affairs in the region, visits of national leaders making prominent statements, and government policy decisions impacting the population on ground. Crucial Regional Projects: She consistently reports on the socio-economic and political impact of infrastructure projects in the region, especially the Statue of Unity, the Sardar Sarovar Project on the Narmada River, the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail bullet train project as well as the National Highway infrastructure. Social Justice and Human Rights: Her reporting offers deep coverage of sensitive human-interest topics, including gender, crime, and tribal issues. Her reports cover legal proceedings from various district courts as well as the Gujarat High Court (e.g., the Bilkis Bano case remission, POCSO court orders, Public Interest Litigations), the plight of tribal communities, and broader social conflicts (e.g., Kheda flogging case). Local Impact & Disaster Reporting: Excels in documenting the immediate impact of events on communities, such as the political and civic fallout of the Vadodara floods, the subsequent public anger, and the long-delayed river redevelopment projects, Harni Boat Tragedy, Air India crash, bringing out a blend of stories from the investigations as well as human emotions. Special Interest Beat: She tracks incidents concerning Non-Resident Gujaratis (NRIs) including crime and legal battles abroad, issues of illegal immigration and deportations, as well as social events connecting the local Gujarati experience to the global diaspora. ... 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