ahmedabad the central board of secondary education cbse on thursday had directed schools affiliated to it across the country to shut down inhouse shops selling textbooks stationery school bags uniforms and shoes following the cbse example the state education department on friday issued a directive prohibiting the sale of these items in selffinanced schools affiliated to the gujarat secondary and higher secondary education board gshsebbhupendrasinh chudasama the state education minister on friday issued a notification to district education officials to ensure strict implementation of the boards directive several englishmedium schools across gujarat have been insisting that parents buy uniforms books stationery and other articles either from the school or from associated dealers the practice is widespread across the state as schools get a commission of 2025 the notification also directs schools to curb other businessrelated activitiesthe new academic year begins in june and if any school is found to be running inhouse shops strict action will be initiated against them if parents complain to the deo the government will penalize errant schools said the state education ministerin the past several complaints were registered against a number of schools across the state and the complaints were sent even to the education ministry however no action has ever been taken against schools on this count the state education department had issued a regulation in 2011 to prevent such business activities however its implementation failed while the government tends to issue such notifications at the beginning of an academic year it is seldom followed by schoolsbox parents cancel protest outside assemblyahmedabad parents association of ahmedabad was to hold a protest outside the state legislative assembly on saturday seeking immediate implementation of fee regulation however due to serious differences of opinion between two factions of the association the protest has been called off at present there is also a great deal of political pressure said sources on saturday the association will meet around 9pm at vastrapur to make new plans