NEW DELHI: The transfer of management of Raksha Anusandhan School (RAV) in Dehradun from the Defence Research Educational Society (DRES) to DAV College Trust & Management Society, effective April 20 this year, has been met with strong opposition from the school's staff and teachers. They fear that their salary structure will be adversely affected by the change.
RAV, Dehradun is a co-educational school affiliated with the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and was established in 1993. The school is partially funded by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). A DRDO official stated that DRDO had initially provided deficit funding to seven such schools to facilitate school admissions for children of its employees stationed in remote locations. However, the organization has now decided to hand over the management to a professionally run education trust.
In addition to the Dehradun school, the management of five other schools, including those in Pune, Hyderabad, and Chandigarh, has been transferred to the DAV College Trust. The president of DRES issued a statement explaining that the transition aims to ensure improved governance, operational efficiency, and sustained institutional development.
The DRES president clarified that DRDO's financial support for RAV does not imply ownership, direct control, or administrative authority. He emphasized that the current employees of RAV, managed by DRES, are not government employees. Their employment is governed by the rules and regulations under the DRES bye-laws and not by government service conditions. The president urged all stakeholders to take note of these clarifications and stated that any information or interpretation to the contrary may be considered inaccurate.
Despite these clarifications, the teachers and staff of RAV Dehradun continue to protest the change in management, expressing concerns over potential negative impacts on their salary structure and working conditions.
