CHAPTER XXVIII:PAYMENT OF MAINTENANCE GRANT TO AIDED SCHOOLS

January 20, 2025

Chapter XXVIII deals with:

(A) Pension
(B) Scale of pay of aided school teachers
(C) P.F. for aided school teachers
(D) Payment of M.G. to Aided schools
Correct Answer-Option:(D) Payment of M.G. to Aided schools

1. These Rules regulate the conditions under which maintenance grant may be given to aided schools.

2. The Director of Public Instruction or the Joint Director of Public Instruction may, notwithstanding anything contained in these Rules, refuse or withdraw the whole grant or any portion there of at his discretion for violation of any of the provisions of the Act or the Rules there under or for any other reasons that may be specified by Director of Public Instruction or the Joint Director of Public Instruction.

3. Subject to the conditions laid down in these Rules, maintenance grant may be paid to the Manager annually for the following purposes except for items the expenditure for which is met or is to be met out of special fees:-

(i) Petty construction and repairs and annual maintenance of school building 6[including compound walls, gate, wells, school premises, play grounds and replacement of tube lights and other electrical fittings.
(ii) Purchase of educational appliances such as globes, maps, charts, apparatus for teaching of geography and allied subjects and instruments for mathematical drawing.
(iii) Repairs to furniture and its replacement.
(iv) Office expenses and miscellaneous including stationery, postage and Telegraph charges.
(v) Contingencies for purchase of chalk, dusters, cleaning materials, buckets, ropes, registers and forms etc.
(vi) Purchase of books and periodicals relating to Education other than books for school library.
(vii) Raw materials for craft education.
(viii) Kindergarten and Sewing appliances.
(ix) Water Charges including expenditure on gardening.
(x) Electric Charges.
(xi) Sweeping and scavenging charges in Lower Primary Schools and in Upper Primary Schools with or without Lower Primary section.
(xii) Traveling allowances to the staff of the school other than Headmasters of Primary Schools for journeys to the Government Treasury for remittance of fee collections and for encashment of salary bills.

Explanation:- For the purpose of this rule, works costing Rs, 2500 (Rupees two thousand and five hundred only]or less alone will be treated as petty construction.

Question.One of the following items of expenditure cannot be met from the maintenance Grant. Find out it:
(A) Petty construction and repairs
(B) Construction of additional class room
(C) Repairs of furniture
(D) Raw materials for craft education
ANSWER: (B) Construction of additional class room

Question.One of the following item of expenditure shall not be met from the Maintenance Grant. Quote it:

(A) Kinder garden and sweeping appliances
(B) Wages for security staff engaged
(C) Electricity charges
(D) Repair of Furniture
Correct Answer- Option: (B) Wages for security staff engaged

Question.The enhanced rate of maintenance grant to High School is Rs. Rs. 80 (eighty) per student per year subject to a maximum of

(A) 30,000
(B) 40,000
(C) 50,000
(D) 60,000
ANSWER:- (D) 60,000

Question.Which among the following is the maintenance grant sanctioned to an L.P. school with 600 pupils as per GO(P) 261/13/ G Edn dt 27.9.2013
(A) Rs. 30,000
(B) Rs.36,000
(C) Rs.42,000
(D) Rs. 48,000
ANSWER:- (A) Rs. 30,000

Question.Calculate the maintenance grant admissible to a U.P. School, where the number of pupils in the school as per Unique Identification Number (UID) being 700:
(A) Rs. 40,000
(B) Rs. 42,000
(C) Rs. 45,000
(D) Rs. 35,000Correct Answer- Option: (A) Rs. 40,000

Note:- If any of the classes are run on shift system, one -half of the effective strength of it shall only be taken into account for the purpose of the above calculation, fraction, if any being counted as one.

Note:- (i) Schools in the Malabar District referred to in sub-section (2) of section 5 of the States Re organisation Act, 1956 (Central Act 37 of 1956) which are being conducted in rented buildings and which were in receipt of grant towards rent from the Government of Madras priorto 1-10-1957 shall be given the amount of grant previously paid by the Government of Madras towards rent of the School buildings.

(iii) In admitting amounts under repairs to furniture and its replacement, the amount received from the sale proceeds of the furniture sought to be replaced shall be deducted.

(iv) In the case of the schools which have been running under sessional system for 5 years or more and which have not been provided with the additional accommodation required for running the entire divisions of the school under non-sessional system within the time of any specified under rule 5A in Chapter IV maintenance grant will be given taking into account only the number of pupils who could normally have been admitted in the school had the school been functioning under non-sessional system.

5. The Educational Officer shall be the officer competent to sanction maintenance grants. The sanction of the grant at the rates specified in Rule 4 shall depend on the merit and standard of upkeep and maintenance of the particular institution, as tested by the conditions prescribed in the Rules issued under the Act or orders that may be issued from time to time by the Government or the Director.

Question.Authority for issuing maintenance grant of schools is:
(A) Headmaster
(B) Deputy Director
(C) Educational Officer
(D) Manager
ANSWER: (C) Educational Officer

5A. The Educational officers shall be competent to make deductions of any of the amount specified below by an order in writing from the maintenance grant sanctioned to the Manager under rule 5:

(a) amounts objected by the Accountant General and the Department at the time of audit of accounts.
(b) amount of pay and allowances paid to teachers and non-teaching staff irregularly appointed, overlooking the legitimate claims of others.
(c) The expenditure incurred by Government under sub-rule (3) of rule 7 of Chapter III

The Educational Officer is not empowered to make deductions of one of the following from the Maintenance Grant. State
(A) Amount objected by the Accountant General and Department
(B) Amount of pay and allowances paid to teachers irregularly appointed over looking claim of legitimate claimants
(C) Amount defaulted by the Manager towards loan from Co-operative Societies
(D) Amount expended by the Department for providing minimum essentials in the school consequent on the lapse of Manager
ANSWER: (C) Amount defaulted by the Manager towards loan from Co-operative Societies

Question.The authority competent to make deductions from the Maintenance Grant is:
(A) Deputy Director
(B) Head master
(C) Director
(D) Educational Officer
ANSWER: (D) Educational Officer

5B. (1) An appeal shall lie to the Deputy Director of Education concerned against the order of the Educational Officers effecting deductions from the Maintenance grant, such appeal shall be filed within 15 days from the date of receipt of the order appealed against.

Question.The decision of the Asst. Educational officer effecting deduction from Maintenance Grant is appealable before the :
(A) Dist. Ednl. officer
(B) Director
(C) Government
(D) Deputy Director
Correct Answer-Option: (D) Deputy Director

(2) On receipt of an appeal under sub-rule (1), the Deputy Director of Education shall, after giving the appellant an opportunity of being heard, pass such order thereon as he thinks fit.

6. (i) Applications for maintenance grant shall be submitted by the Managers to the Educational Officers in Form 28 (in duplicate) so as to reach them before the first of October every year.

Question.Applications for maintenance grant should reach the office of the DEO before:
(A) Re-opening date itself
(B) Closing date
(C) The 1st of October every year
(D) December 31st of every year
Correct Answer-Option:(C) The 1st of October every year

Question.The last date fixed for submission of Maintenance Grant of aided school is :
(A) 30th September
(B) 15th July
(C) 1st January
(D) 30th June
Correct Answer- Option: (A) 30th September

Provided that the Director may, if found necessary, revise the date in any year and shall publish the revised date in the Gazette.

(ii) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-rule (i) the Educational Officer may entertain applications submitted within two months from the date specified in sub-rule (i) if the delay was caused for one or more of the following reasons.

(1) Transfer of Management.
(2) Disputes over Management.
(3) Grant of recognition or renewal of temporary recognition.
(4) Production of fitness certificate from the Public Works Department.
(5) Delay in the re-opening of the schools.

Question.The application for Maintenance Grant submitted within 2 months after the prescribed date will not be entertained if the same was happened due to one of the reasons furnished below

(A) Transfer of Management
(B) Suspension of Headmaster
(C) Dispute over management
(D) Delay in re-opening of schools

Correct Answer- Option: (B) Suspension of Headmaster

Provided that the Director of Public Instruction may entertain application submitted within six months or the Deputy Director (Education) may entertain applications submitted within four months from the dates specified in sub-rule (i) if the delay was caused for one or more reasons specified in the sub-rule or for any other sufficient and valid reasons.

Question.The maximum period that can be condoned by the Director in the case of delay in submitting application for maintenance grant of aided school is:
(A) 4 months
(B) 1 year
(C) 6 months
(D) 3 months
ANSWER: (C) 6 months

The competent authority to condone the delay in submitting application for maintenance grant for 3 months:
(A) D.D.E.
(B) Director
(C) Ednl. Officer
(D) Government
ANSWER: (A) D.D.E.

(iii) Fifty percent of the maintenance grant paid during the previous year or on the basis of an approximate estimate when maintenance grant is sanctioned for the first time, may, on an application made for the purpose be paid to the Manager in advance in April or in the first week of May every year so as to enable the management to carry out the annual repairs and maintenance to school buildings during the summer vacation and to purchase essential items of articles referred to in Rule 3 in time before the schools reopen.

Question.The percentage of the previous year’s maintenance grant to be paid as advance to the Managers for repair Works is.
(A) 50%
(B) 60%
(C) 25%
(D) 80%
Correct Answer-Option: (A) 50%

Question.Fifty percent of Maintenance Grant paid during previous year, may, on an application made for the purpose be paid to the Manager in advance in …………… or in the first Weeks of…………………..
(A) May, June
(B) March, April.
(C) June, July
(D) April, May
Correct Answer- Option: (D) April, May

(iv) The applications for maintenance grant shall be accompanied by a statement of expenditure and declaration by the Manager in Form. 29. An Audit certificate of accounts of the school for the previous year shall also be furnished in the case of each school receiving grant above Rs.3500. The certificate to be attached should be one issued by an auditor qualified to audit accounts under the companies Act, 1956, or by other auditors authorised by the Government in this behalf.

Question.The application for maintenance grant shall be accompanied by a statement of expenditure and declaration by the manager is:
(A) Form 30
(B) Form 27
(C) Form 29
(D) Form 17

Correct Answer- Option: (C) Form 29

7. Applications for maintenance grant shall be disposed of by the Educational Officer not later than two months after the receipt of applications. Grants may be claimed and drawn by the Management in bills duly passed and countersigned by the Educational Officer immediately after sanction is accorded and before the grant bills are counter signed the Educational Officer shall send to the Deputy Director (Education) and the Accountant General a consolidated statement showing the amounts sanctioned by him as maintenance grant. This procedure shall also be followed in the case of advance grant. In the sanctions for final grant the sanctioning authority shall also record a certificate that the grants are in accordance with these rules and that the un utilised grants of previous years have been taken into account in fixing the annual grants. One copy each of the application and enclosure shall be sent by the Educational Officer to the Deputy Director (Education)along with the statement. The Manager shall keep separate accounts regarding the Government grant and other incomes for the maintenance of the school and the expenditure incurred thereon.

Question.The time limit prescribed for disposing the applications for maintenance grant by the Educational Officer is:
(A) Two months
(B) Three months
(C) One year
(D) One week
ANSWER: (A) Two months

8. Form 30 appended to these Rules shall be used for submission of bills for maintenance grants.

9. The Educational Officers shall at the time of their visit or inspection scrutinise the accounts and verify whether the maintenance work has been properly done and whether the articles purchased have been brought to stock. They shall with reference to the school records and by physical verification also check whether the maintenance grant has been properly and fully utilised. Based on the notes of inspection the Educational Officer may make a suitable reduction in the amount of maintenance grant admissible, for the irregularities noted. No appeal shall lie over the decision of the Educational Officer in such cases.

10. Excess, if any, in the maintenance grant sanctioned for a year shall be adjusted towards the maintenance grant for the succeeding year. Over payments, if any, detected shall be made good by the Managers or may be deducted from the maintenance grant for subsequent years.

11. The amount of grant, if any, withdrawn under Rule 2 or reduced under Rule 9, shall be refunded by the Manager within such time as the authorities mentioned in those rules may determine.

12. Notwithstanding anything contained in these Rules if the Manager fails to utilize the maintenance grant for the purpose as specified in Rule 3, Government will have the power to recover the same from the manager as per the provisions of the Revenue Recovery Act for the time being in force.

Question.The maintenance grant will be revised in every five years for which the ……………. shall furnish proposals to Government.
(A) Manager.
(B) Edl. Officer
(C) Director of Public Instruction
(D) Deputy Director (Edn.)
ANSWER:- (C) Director of Public Instruction