Green-powered & digital, assembly to take up school fees bill
During this session, Delhi Assembly will become the first in the country to operate entirely on solar power, said the govt. Vidhan Sabha on Sunday also announced the launch of its transition to a fully digital, paperless legislative platform under the National e-Vidhan Application (NeVA) initiative from Monday.
The school education bill, designed to regulate private school fees and protect parents from arbitrary hikes, mandates that no institution shall collect any fee beyond what is approved under the Act and requires the establishment of a school-level fee regulation committee in each of them.
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Each committee will consist of teachers, parents and school management representatives, with specific provisions to ensure social diversity and gender representation. A parent cannot serve more than two consecutive terms and the committee must meet at least once before Aug 15 each year, said officials.
The management must propose fees for the next three academic years by July 31, with oversight from the committee.
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If no agreement is reached by Sept 15, the matter must be escalated to the district fee appellate committee. These district-level bodies will include education officials, chartered accountants, school representatives and parents. Their decisions will remain binding for three academic years, though appeals can be made to a higher revision committee.
Key factors in determining fee structures will include infrastructure, teacher salaries, location and expenditure-to-income ratios.
On Sunday, Union minister of state for law & justice Arjun Ram Meghwal inaugurated a 500-kilowatt rooftop solar plant, praising it as a "model for sustainable governance". The initiative is expected to save up to Rs 1.75 crore annually through net metering, with surplus electricity potentially supplied back to the grid, said Vidhan Sabha Secretariat.
Speaker Vijender Gupta described the moves as a "cornerstone" in the assembly's journey towards environmental and administrative reforms.
"We are demonstrating how virasat (heritage) and vikaas (development) can move forward hand-in-hand," he said.
Chief minister Rekha Gupta said the dual leap into clean energy and digital lawmaking reflected a broader vision for Delhi. "From fixing potholes to transforming schools, this is the beginning of a new work ethic. These are not symbolic steps, they are systemic changes," she said. Key reports, including Finance and Appropriation Accounts for 2023-24 and a few CAG reports, will be be tabled.
Power minister Ashish Sood will present documents related to Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission's Green Energy Open Access Regulations, further underlining Delhi's commitment to clean energy.
The assembly's solar initiative is projected to yield savings of up to Rs 15 lakh per month and is expected to swiftly recover its cost, said the assembly secretariat.
The speaker said, "The successful commissioning of the solar plant marks a new chapter in our commitment to cleaner energy and public responsibility. We are proud to lead by example and demonstrate how legislative institutions can champion environmental stewardship." He said the work of e-Vidhan was completed in just 100 days through the dedicated efforts of the NeVA team.
The chief minister described the commissioning of the solar plant as a turning point in institutional accountability towards environmental protection.
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