The Central Board of Secondary Education has asked schools affiliated to it to go cashless in terms of fee collection starting January 1, 2017. The board has sent out a circular, which states that “with a view to reduce cash transactions at school, all CBSE-affiliated schools shall introduce fee collection from students only online or through non-cash mode from the next quarter commencing from January 2017 onward”.
The notice was issued by board secretary Joseph Emmanuel. The board has also asked schools to use cashless modes of payment for “availing various services, procurement, wages to contractual workers and other transactions”. It has asked teachers to spread awareness about the benefits of cashless transaction among parents at Parent Teachers Meetings.
Since most schools have already adopted the cashless method of collecting fees, many institutions welcomed the notice. “It’s a fantastic move and we are fully prepared to handle the shift to non-cash modes of payment. While the option to pay through other means has always been available, many parents prefer to deposit fee in cash,” Radhika Rajwade, director of Centre Point School, told The Times of India.
Anmol Badjate, principal of Jain International School, said, the move would help increase the ease and clarity of handling finances of schools along with providing support to the Centre’s demonetisation decision. “First, the workload of our accounts department will decrease. Second, now there won’t be any confusion about lost deposit receipts etc as transactions will move through digital routes,” he said.
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