Noida: National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has written to the district magistrate seeking a probe into allegations that nearly 40 students of Bal Bharti Public School in Sector 21 were forced to attend classes in a basement room that lacked proper ventilation and had no windows.The action comes after parents claimed students of Class VIII-D had to endure extreme heat and humidity as the classroom’s air conditioner (AC) remained defunct for the past several days. This was despite the school charging an additional Rs 500 per month from July 1 for its 24 air-conditioned classrooms, saying the amount would cover installation, electricity, maintenance and repair costs.“Despite full tuition and AC fees being paid, air conditioners are constantly out of order, causing children to suffocate in the intense heat. The application is self-explanatory and may be reviewed,” NCPCR said in a letter to district magistrate Medha Roopam on Aug 7. The child rights panel also raised concerns about compliance with fire-safety norms and sought an investigation into the allegations and a report.The district administration has now sought a report from Noida Authority, even as the district inspector of schools has served a notice to Bal Bharti’s management seeking their response within the stipulated period.Roopam told TOI that the complaints had not been raised during the recent district fee regulatory committee meeting. “During the DFRC meeting, no such complaints were brought to our notice. However, now Noida Authority and the police department have been informed about it. Conducting classes in basements and action in such matters come under Noida Authority,” the DM said.The school, meanwhile, has denied the allegations, saying the classroom is on the ground floor and fully air-conditioned. “The classroom is not in the basement but on the ground floor. The entire room is air-conditioned and there is no problem with ventilation,” principal Asha Prabhakar said.Last week, the district fee regulatory committee (DFRC) imposed a Rs 1 lakh fine on Bal Bharati for failing to upload its fee structure for the 2025-26 academic session on its website and violating composite fee norms by charging separate annual fees.UP building bylaws do not expressly permit classrooms in basements. It simply allows basements in educational buildings for general uses under the provisions of the Act’s Section 3.3.3, which primarily covers parking, machinery, services and storage. After the June 2026 Aliganj coaching-centre fire in Lucknow, the state govt has directed that basements should not be used for coaching or other commercial activities. The move was specifically aimed at preventing fire and life-safety risks.
