Tapovan Vidyalaya in Bhayander East faces official scrutiny after the The Mira-Bhayander Municipal Corporation (MBMC) education department served it a show-cause notice for fining a primary school student Rs 50 for bringing methi bhaji for lunch. The action stems from a complaint filed by local MNS activist Robert D'Souza over the school's strict tiffin rules.
According to the complaint, reported by The Times of India, parents are reportedly informed at the time of admission not to send non-vegetarian food and certain vegetables in students' lunchboxes. D'Souza alleged that imposing a monetary penalty over food choices amounted to enforcing particular dietary practices.
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MBMC Education Officer Sulabha Vatare confirmed that the civic authority served a notice demanding an explanation from the school's administration. Citing fundamental rights, state government directives, and the Right to Education Act, the notice explicitly prohibited schools from imposing dietary restrictions or levying monetary fines on students for their choice of food.
The school management reportedly maintained that its tiffin guidelines were framed to accommodate the dietary preferences of its predominantly Jain student population. The management said the rules had been communicated to parents at the beginning of the academic year and that the fine was imposed as a disciplinary measure for violating those guidelines. It also indicated that the penalty policy would be reviewed following the civic body's intervention.
The development comes shortly after a similar controversy involving Seven Square School in Mira Road. The school had issued a circular asking students not to bring onion, garlic and certain other food items during Paryushan. Following a civic notice, the school withdrew the circular, reported TOI.
The Tapovan Vidyalaya management's detailed response to the latest civic notice was not immediately available.
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