Delhi Cabinet approves bill to regulate school fee structure amid complaints

New Delhi [India], April 29 (ANI): In a move aimed at curbing arbitrary fee hikes by private schools, the Delhi Cabinet on Tuesday approved the Delhi School Education Transparency in Fixation and Regulation of Fees Bill, 2025, bringing relief to thousands of students and parents across the capital.
Addressing growing concerns over frequent and unregulated fee increases by private schools, the Delhi Cabinet, under the leadership of Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, on Tuesday cleared the bill, which is expected to apply to 1,677 private schools in the city.
Chief Minister Rekha Gupta stated that the government has swiftly acted in response to the widespread panic among students and parents in recent days regarding the hikes in school fees.
“The issue of school fees had been ongoing for several days. We also examined the procedure for increasing school fees and sent District Magistrates to investigate complaints, conduct audits, and review the procedures behind fee hikes.”
Adding further, she said, “Section 17(3) of the existing Delhi School Education Act, 1973, failed to define government authority in this matter clearly. Since 1973, no government has taken a concrete decision on this issue. However, the bill, which has been passed today and will now apply to 1,677 schools across Delhi.”
Delhi Education Minister Ashish Sood described the bill as a step toward complete transparency.
“The new law introduces a structured process to determine if school fees can be increased,” he said, emphasising that students and parents across 1,677 schools will now experience much-needed relief.
The key provisions of the bill include a three-tier committee structure that will govern fee regulation.
The first level comprises the School-Level Fee Regulation Committee, which includes a DOE nominee, five parents selected by lottery (two women and one SC/ST member), and school representatives.
The second level includes the District-Level Committee, which is invoked if the first level fails to resolve the issue within 30 days.
The third level includes the State-Level Committee, which is invoked if the issue remains unresolved at the district level within 30-45 days.
Parents representing at least 15 per cent of a school’s students can directly escalate a case to the district committee if dissatisfied.
The Delhi Education Minister said, “Our goal is to establish a transparent system. Previous governments failed to act on this issue.
Violating schools may face penalties ranging from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 10 lakh for non-compliance or bypassing the process.
He further said that the bill has been passed and will soon be implemented by the Delhi government. Additionally, a session will be called, and the bill will be passed in the Vidhan Sabha as well.
On April 15, the CM had warned of strict action against schools found violating regulations.
“Parents from various schools have been meeting me, sharing their grievances. No school has the authority to harass parents or children, threaten expulsion, or arbitrarily hike fees. There are strict rules and laws in place, and compliance is mandatory,” she had said, speaking to ANI.
On April 9, parents held a protest outside schools in New Delhi over the recent fee hike, demanding that the government take over the schools.
The parents were seen protesting outside the Indraprastha International School and Delhi Public School, Dwarka.
On April 8, Delhi Education Minister Ashish Sood vowed to take action against the private schools which had increased their fees.
“We are being blamed for increasing Delhi school fees… The Supreme Court issued an order in the 2004 Modern School case, stating that Delhi schools are required to obtain permission from the Directorate of Education before increasing their fees. However, they (AAP) had this order dismissed in 2024 by the Delhi High Court… Rekha Gupta will investigate cases where under-the-table money was taken…A committee will be formed under the leadership of Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, and all schools will undergo an audit. If any school fails any criterion, it will not be spared,” the Delhi Education Minister said. (ANI)

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