Delhi Government to introduce ordinance to regulate private school fees

India Gazette

6 days ago

New Delhi [India], May 30 (ANI): The Delhi government is planning to introduce an ordinance to regulate fees in private schools. The ordinance may be introduced within a week.
The Delhi government is preparing to bring this ordinance to curb arbitrary fee hikes by private schools.
According to sources, the draft of the proposed ordinance, under the 'Delhi School Education Bill, 2025', has already been sent to the Law Department.
The ordinance proposes a fine of up to Rs50,000 for violations, and in cases of repeated violations, provision has been made for the confiscation of school property.
Committees will be formed at the school, district, and review levels to determine fees.
This bill was initially scheduled to be presented during the special session proposed on May 13-14, but the session could not be held. It will now be introduced as a bill in the upcoming Monsoon Session.
On 16th April, show-cause notices were served to 10 schools about the arbitrary fee hike and to the schools that didn't submit their audit reports. The present Delhi government has already collected audited reports from 600 schools.
Previously, while speaking to ANI on the issue of fee hike by private schools, Delhi education minister Ashish Sood said, 'We will create a strong documentation system and tighten the noose around such schools. We will investigate how arbitrary fee hikes were approved in the past and whether any corrupt dealings took place with the previous government. We will not tolerate any such malpractice under any circumstances.'
The matter of an arbitrary fee hike came to the fore when several students in DPS Dwarka were disenrolled when they failed to pay the hiked school fee, and the court intervened. The government also sent a committee that investigated the matter, following which show-cause notices were served to the schools.
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has also repeatedly announced that such fee hikes and harassment of parents and students will not be tolerated. Keeping this in mind, the government plans to introduce this ordinance to curb arbitrary fee hikes.
The Rekha Gupta government aims to provide quality and modern education to every child in the state.
The issue of arbitrary fee hikes by private schools in Delhi has been a longstanding concern, with the Delhi government taking various measures over the years to address it. (ANI)