Fee hike row erupts at DPS Dwarka again: School expels 29 students, angry parents stage protest

Indian Express

13-05-2025

Chaotic scenes were witnessed outside Delhi Public School (DPS) Dwarka on Tuesday morning after several students were denied entry into the premises — once again, over non-payment of fees — and angry parents protested at the gates.
These students were among 29 expelled by the school, which cited legal provisions, with 'immediate effect' on May 9. Parents, however, accused the school of allegedly 'mishandling children' and flouting a Delhi High Court order issued last month.
They also claimed bouncers were stationed at the gate. Parents also alleged that several students were reportedly sent back home in school buses without prior intimation.
A parent of a Class XI student described the scene as traumatic. '… We were shocked when the school forcefully boarded our children into buses and sent them back home without any communication. We didn't know their whereabouts for a while. There was no sensitivity shown at all,' the parent claimed.
In recent weeks, hundreds of parents took to Delhi's streets to protest against fee hikes at several private schools.
At DPS Dwarka, the fee hike issue has been raging for several years. In April, an eight-member inspection committee led by District Magistrate (Southwest) Lakshay Singhal had flagged discriminatory practices against students at the schools: they were barred from attending regular classes and confined to the library, had restricted access to the canteen, were isolated from peers, and closely monitored by guards during restroom visits.
The Delhi Cabinet then approved a draft Bill — the Delhi School Education (Transparency in Fixation & Regulation of Fees) Bill, 2025. Chief Minister Rekha Gupta announced that it will apply to all private schools in the city and ensure 'transparent, strict and clear provisions regarding school fee determination'.
What prompted the latest issue
In emails sent to affected families last Friday, the school cited Rule 35 of the Delhi School Education Act and Rules (DSEAR), 1973, to justify the expulsions, stating that the students' names were being struck off the rolls due to 'non-payment of school fee' despite 'various reminders through monthly SMS, emails, telephonic calls and final reminder/show cause notice'.
Rule 35 states that schools can expel students on the grounds of non-payment of fees and other dues for 20 days after the last day for payment, or continued absence without leave for six consecutive days. It is also compulsory to issue a showcause notice to the guardian or parent before such an action.
The school's email also said, 'You are advised not to send your ward to the school. He/she shall not be permitted to enter the school premises. The RFID card of your ward has also been disabled and, if you send your ward to school despite his/her name being struck off from the school rolls, it shall be at your risk and consequence.'
It asked the parents to collect the transfer certificate of their wards from the administration department on Tuesday, between 2.30 and 3 pm.
The Indian Express sent an email to the school principal for comments, but it did not elicit a response.
A source in the school said, 'A show cause notice was issued to the parents last December. A total of more than Rs 1 lakh is outstanding from 130 students, and there has already been a loss of Rs 6 crore because certain students have completed Class 12. How can we recover the money in such cases?'
Reacting to the parents' claims, the source blamed them for misrepresenting the HC order. 'The order is about how students are to be treated once inside the school — it doesn't stop us from expelling defaulters. Once a child is struck off the rolls, denying entry is not a violation,' the source added.
'The children are suffering because of their parents and the politics around it. We will not tolerate demonstrations outside the school gate.'
In its April 16 order, the HC had termed DPS Dwarka's action against students 'a very alarming state of affairs' and chastised the school for using the institution as a 'money-making machine'.
Justice Sachin Datta restrained DPS Dwarka from engaging in any discriminatory practices against students over non-payment of fees. It also directed the school not to prevent such students from interacting with others or subject them to any form of prejudice or humiliation.
The court further said in its order that 'any issue that the school may have as regards non-payment/deficit payment of fees, has to be addressed in the framework of the provisions of the Delhi School Education Act, 1973, the rules framed thereunder and in terms of direction/s that may be issued in the pending judicial proceedings as regards thereto'.
Parents also claimed they had alerted the Directorate of Education earlier about the possibility of mass expulsions, and said they would seek a legal remedy.
Earlier, DPS Dwarka, in a statement, had rejected allegations against the school and said, 'any information being disseminated in the public domain against the school in this regard is false and frivolous'.