Delhi school fee regulation bill: Rs 10 lakh fine, dispute panels — how govt plans to curb arbitrary hikes
Parent representation and student protection
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Three-tier appeal system for disputes
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The Delhi cabinet has cleared a draft bill to regulate school fees in private and government schools across the city. Once passed by the Assembly, the bill will set clear rules for how schools decide fee structures, prevent arbitrary hikes, and include parents in the decision-making process. Schools that raise fees without approval could face fines up to ₹10 lakh and even lose recognition, according to the draft, a TOI report stated.The proposed law, titled Delhi School Education (Transparency in Fixation and Regulation of Fees) Bill Draft, 2025, outlines a formal structure to manage school fee policies. It includes the creation of fee regulation committees at the school level, district fee appellate committees, and a state-level revision committee to handle appeals and disputes.Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said the move was prompted by repeated complaints from parents about unexpected and unauthorised fee increases. "There have been complaints from parents and students about arbitrary fee hikes and the expulsion of children from schools. It was reported that school managements were not only charging arbitrary fees, but also harassing students who could not pay, threatening to expel them," she said.The bill proposes that school-level fee regulation committees must include parents, teachers, and members from Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, backward classes, and women. Representatives of parents and teachers will be selected by draw of lots, and decisions will be made through majority votes.The bill bars schools from punishing students for fee non-payment. Actions such as removing students from school rolls, holding back exam results, denying class access, or publicly humiliating students will not be allowed.To address fee-related grievances, a three-level appeals process will be set up: first at the school, then district, and finally at the state level. This structure is designed to give parents a clear channel to raise concerns.Gupta added that the new draft bill marks the first serious attempt to regulate fee hikes. "For the first time, the 1,677 private schools in Delhi will be governed by legally regulated fee guidelines," she said.Education Minister Ashish Sood said the new law will bring accountability to schools. "Coercive action will be taken, ranging from fines to more serious legal action if the violations are more severe," he said. Criticising the previous AAP government, he added, "They made a law to give a bottle free with another bottle. We made a law to give justice to the parents and students. It has been going on for decades, and we brought a law within 60 days."AAP Delhi president Saurabh Bharadwaj criticised the bill and alleged that the BJP government was working with private school managements. "It makes it impossible for parents to complain unless they gather 15% of parents; this is a tool to crush parents' voices," he said.Bharadwaj added that the bill aims to silence parents and favour private schools. "They've replaced elected PTA members with handpicked ones," he said. He claimed the BJP had let down Delhi's middle class within just 65 days of taking office.The bill is expected to be tabled for discussion and voting in the monsoon session of the Delhi Assembly.
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