₹50 fine for methi in tiffin? Maharashtra school faces civic body notice, parents' food concerns grow

The Mira-Bhayander Municipal Corporation (MBMC) has served a show-cause notice to a private school in Maharashtra's Bhayander suburb after a student was allegedly penalised ₹50 for bringing methi (fenugreek) bhaji in the lunchbox. The controversy centres on Tapovan Vidyalaya in Bhayander East, where parents and a local Shiv Sena/MNS activist complained that the school fined a child ₹50 for carrying home-cooked methi during the Jain festival of Paryushan, NDTV reported.

The school’s tiffin policy restricts certain vegetables, including root vegetables and some leafy greens, to accommodate the dietary preferences of its largely Jain student body, and the fine was imposed as a disciplinary measure for violating those rules.

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Civic body’s notice to school

Following the complaint, MBMC’s education department issued a show-cause notice to the school management, seeking an explanation. Education Officer Sulabha Vatare confirmed the notice, stating that schools cannot impose dietary curbs on students or levy monetary penalties for the food they bring from home.

The notice cited students’ fundamental rights, state government directives, and provisions under the Right to Education (RTE) Act, warning of strict action if the school fails to provide a satisfactory reply.

School’s defence

School authorities reportedly told the civic body that the tiffin guidelines were communicated to parents at the start of the academic year and were meant to respect the religious and dietary sensitivities of the Jain community. They maintained that the ₹50 penalty was not a “fee” but a disciplinary measure for repeated violations and indicated that the policy would be reviewed in light of the MBMC’s intervention.

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The MBMC has asked the school to respond to the notice, after which it will decide on further action.