MOOT COURT SOCIETY AMITY LAW SCHOOL, NOIDA MOOT PROBLEM

Blueberry Publication Co. v Zeus Education Trust 1. Zeus Education Trust is a trust founded and headed by one Mr. Ramakrishnan along with 14 others in the city of Priyadarshan in the State of Rohland in India. The trust runs several educational institutions including 17 schools of which 7 constitute Matriculation Board, 4 comprise Anglo-Indian Board, and 6 are a part of Oriental Board. The trust entered in a contract with the Blueberry Publication Co. for a value of Rs. 3 crores to provide text books for classes 1-8 for a period of 3 years from academic year 2011-12 to 2013-14. 2. In January 2012, the State legislature of Rohland passed the One State, One Syllabus Act, whereby it integrated the 3 boards of education into one and provided a common syllabus. Further, the government provided books published by itself for this syllabus and prescribed text books of 12 other private publishing houses including Blueberry Publication Co. and its competition Raspberry Publishers. In the meanwhile, the chairman of the Zeus Trust changed in 2012 wherein Ms. Tanya became the new chairman of the Zeus Trust changed in 2012 wherein Ms. Tanya became the new chairman. Ms. Tanya is the niece of the owner of Raspberry Publications Co., Mr. Shorya. 3. The Zeus Times, an in-house publication of the Trust had reported during the deliberations of the One State, One Syllabus Act in the legislature that the trustees under the chairmanship of Mr. Divnash Ramakrishnan had decided to continue with Blueberry Publications and Co. under the new syllabus. However, there was no negation or confirmation by any of the trustees about this. However, after the Act was passed in the State legislature, the trustees under the chairmanship of Ms. Tanya decided to purchase books from Raspberry Publications for classes 1 to 8 for all the 17 schools. Ms. Shivangi, the treasurer of the trust was reported saying, After proper deliberations, we have decided to prescribe books of Raspberry Publications and Co. to our students under the
1

MOOT COURT SOCIETY AMITY LAW SCHOOL, NOIDA new syllabus. This decision has been taken in the interest of the students. However, there were rumors amongst the faculty in the schools that the change in books was due to the close relations between Ms. Tanya and the Raspberry Publications Co. 4. On 21st March, 2012, the Blueberry Publications Co. send a legal notice to the Zeus Trust stating that the trust had breached the contract with them and sought specific performance of the same. 5. On 23rd March, 2012, the Trust replied stating that the Act of One State, One Syllabus, had frustrated the contract as syllabus is a core aspect in the purchase of text books and thus, had discharged both parties of their obligations under the contract. 6. After all negotiations, the parties being unable to reach a solution, the Blueberry Co. filed a suit in the High Court of Rohland for specific performance and damages.