PRAYAGRAJ, July 19 -- In a significant reform, over 28,000 schools affiliated to the UP Board will now receive Rs.10 directly from the registration fee paid by each student enrolling in Classes 9 and 11. Previously too, schools were entitled to Rs.10 out of the Rs.50 registration fee, but the process for receiving the amount was complex and time-consuming, often taking months. To streamline this, an amendment has been made to the Uttar Pradesh Intermediate Education Act of 1921, ensuring that Rs.10 per registered student is now directly deposited into the school's bank account, UP Board officials said. This amendment has received the governor's approval, said UP Board secretary Bhagwati Singh while confirming the development. Until last year, students appearing as institutional (regular) candidates in the UP Board's High School and Intermediate examinations were required to pay a registration fee of Rs.50 at the time of admission to Classes 9 and 11. School principals used to deposit this amount into the government treasury. Afterwards, they used to send a reimbursement request to the UP Board, and the requisite part of the fees was then refunded to the schools once the budget was sanctioned by the state government, Board officials said. Now, under the revised system, principals will deposit Rs.40 per student into the government treasury and retain Rs.10 in the school's account. This change will eliminate the lengthy fee reimbursement process that often took several months, they added. Singh has instructed school principals to allocate the Rs.10 retained per student towards the school's contingency expenses. This amount should be used specifically for quality enhancement and other essential activities, he has made clear. He said that principals are required to spend these funds strictly for the designated purposes. Any irregularity, misuse, or delay in the utilisation of these funds will result in the principal being held directly accountable. In such cases, disciplinary action will be taken against them at the board level, he warned....