The DAV Public School, BSEB, may be converted into a government school if it fails to meet some conditions set by the state energy department, which provided it land and buildings.

The energy department had served the school an eviction notice on April 21, setting a June 1 deadline for it to vacate the premises at Rajvanshi Nagar on the ground that the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) cancelled affiliation to the school last year. But the CBSE restored affiliation on April 26 and the school wants the government to reconsider its decision.

"DAV Public School, BSEB, may be converted into a government school," energy minister Bijendra Prasad Yadav told The Telegraph . "The land, buildings and rights to the school are ours. We will take a final decision after considering all aspects. Around 80 per cent students are children of energy department employees. We are worried about their future."

Bijendra was peeved at the functioning of the school. "The school has not been functioning properly and does not submit its performance report to us. Nobody from its top management in New Delhi has come to us to address our apprehensions," Bijendra said.

As per rules, the chairman-cum-managing director of the Bihar State Power Holding Company Limited (BSPHCL), Pratyaya Amrit, who is also energy department principal secretary, is empowered to take a decision on the matter. "The school is our (BSPHCL) baby and a rightful decision will be taken after considering all aspects," Pratyaya said.

DAV BSEB has been running in agreement with the power holding company (earlier Bihar State Electricity Board) for the past 23 years and its present principal, V.S. Ojha, contended that the infrastructure irregularities for which the board had withdrawn affiliation happened during the earlier principal, Ramanuj Prasad. "We rectified these and a CBSE team verified everything before extending affiliation till 2019 on April 26," Ojha said. "The energy department sent us an eviction notice on April 21, but the problems have been addressed. We've requested them to reconsider the decision in the changed scenario."

The DAV BSEB principal said he had suggested that the energy department form a separate vigilance committee to keep a watch on the school's functioning. "We have informed the DAV chairman to dispatch a high-level committee to meet the energy minister and top officials on this issue. Punishing a non-profit organisation like DAV, serving the country for 130 years, for one person's mistakes would be unfair to students, teachers and school," he said.

Though energy department sources said the deadline for eviction is June 1, it goes against the agreement between the then BSEB and DAV, which stipulates a two-year notice from either side to annul it. However, if the state government takes over the school it would have to follow the Bihar School Examination Board syllabus.

"If the state government takes over the school, the examination board, syllabus and teaching pattern would change and students will become disoriented," said Shabnam Kumari, whose son studies at DAV BSEB. "It will also jeopardise the future of those who want to go to Delhi or other metros for higher studies." With June 1 round the corner, parents, students and teachers are eagerly awaiting the energy department's decision on the eviction notice.