LI Network
Published on: 27 July 2023 at 12:37 IST
The Delhi High Court has underscored the significance of efficiency and accountability in administrative functioning, specifically urging educational institutions to establish a robust system for record preservation.
The court called upon the Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS) to adopt practices like digitization to ensure the proper maintenance of records.
Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma, heading the bench, made this observation while setting aside a penalty of Rs 2 lakh imposed by a single-judge bench on the Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan. The penalty was imposed for negligence in preserving and failing to produce an annual confidential report of one of its employees.
While acknowledging the importance of instilling efficiency and accountability in administrative operations, the court deemed the imposition of costs on an educational institution without substantial evidence as “unwarranted.”
The court emphasized that the concerns raised about the working of KVS were well-founded, stressing that educational institutions must have robust systems for record preservation.
Justice Sanjeev Narula, also part of the bench, concurred with this perspective. The court stated that, instead of imposing costs in this specific case, it would be more equitable to address the need for improved record-keeping by directing KVS to adopt better practices, including digitization, to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.
The case that came before the single judge involved the dismissal of a teacher from a Kendriya Vidyalaya. The single-judge bench highlighted issues of governance, as important documents related to employees were found to be unavailable. Consequently, the judge awarded the employee costs of Rs 2 lakh from KVS due to the organization’s negligence in preserving and producing the annual confidential report.
