The Supreme Court has summoned balance sheets from private schools in Uttar Pradesh challenging the Allahabad High Court's decision to refund 15 percent of the collection fees in the academic session 2020-21 during the Corona period. Also, directed the state administration not to take any coercive action against the schools for six weeks. Justice Sanjeev Khanna's bench said, if the balance sheet justifies the January order of the High Court, then the schools will have to return the fees. 

Please, don't tell us that if parents don't have money, they don't pay, the bench told advocate Shyam Divan, a Noida-based school. They will beg, borrow or steal to pay for their children's fees. Show us your balance sheet. If there is enough money, we will not interfere with the order.

During the hearing in the Supreme Court, advocate Shyam Dewan said, the school has used its funds for fellowship and scholarship. We want to see the balance sheet of the last five years, the bench said. It should also contain details of fees received, salaries paid to teachers and staff as well as whether there was any deduction in their salaries during the said period. The balance sheet should have whether or not there has been a reduction in operating expenses between April 1, 2020 and March 31, 2022.