The Patna High Court has provided major relief to the students and parents of Foundation Academy located at the IIT Patna campus. Justice Alok Kumar Sinha issued a stay order against the closure of the private school and directed the administration to unlock the premises immediately. This intervention comes after intense protests from parents who had threatened an indefinite hunger strike due to the sudden sealing of the school.
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Why did the dispute start at IIT Patna?
The conflict reached a peak when the district administration sealed the school premises on March 30, 2026, following an eviction notice from IIT Patna. The Registrar of IIT Patna, A.K. Thakur, stated that the school had violated several agreement terms over many years despite receiving multiple notices. However, the school management claimed they had a valid agreement to operate until the 2027-28 academic session. The sudden closure had put the future of over 800 students, including children of IIT staff and security personnel, in total uncertainty.
Key dates and court directives for the school
The High Court has ordered that the academic session, which was supposed to begin on April 1, must proceed without any further disruption. The court has given the IIT Patna administration two weeks to file a counter-affidavit to explain their position. The next hearing for this case is scheduled for May 5, 2026. Here is the timeline of the events:
- March 19, 2026: IIT Patna issued a notice directing the school to vacate the campus.
- March 30, 2026: District officials sealed the school premises.
- April 1, 2026: Parents and students protested at the gate as the new session failed to start.
- April 2, 2026: Patna High Court stayed the closure and ordered the school to reopen.
The school caters to a wide range of students from nursery to Class 12. Many parents argued that closing the school right at the start of the new session was an unlawful move that ignored the welfare of the children.
