Latest news with #DelhiSchoolEducationBill
Hindustan Times
3 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
All private schools now under new fee regulation law, says Delhi education minister
New Delhi, The Delhi government has brought all 1,700 private schools in the city under a new fee regulation law, with provisions for parental participation and veto power on fee hikes, Education Minister Ashish Sood said on Friday. All private schools now under new fee regulation law, says Delhi education minister Speaking at a "Parents' Town Hall" in Janakpuri, Sood said the Delhi School Education Bill, 2025, passed in the Monsoon Session of the Assembly, seeks to end arbitrary fee increases and ensure transparency in the fee fixation process. About 200 parents attended the interaction, where the minister explained key provisions of the law, including penalties for non-compliance. Schools that raise fees without government approval will face fines ranging from ₹1 lakh to ₹10 lakh, with double penalties if excess charges are not refunded, he said, according to an official statement. The bill also grants the Director of Education powers similar to those of a sub-divisional magistrate to ensure uniform action against violations, it stated. Committees comprising parents, teachers, school management and government representatives will be involved in setting school fees, it read. Sood said the new law closes a loophole in the 1973 rules, under which only 300 schools were covered for the fee regulation. "Now, all private schools in Delhi will come under the ambit of fee regulation," he said. The minister criticised previous governments for failing to establish a transparent system for private school fee control. "Those who claimed to have brought an education revolution did not make real improvements in government schools," he said, adding that many parents opted for private schools because of the poor state of public education facilities. As per the bill, decisions on fee proposals must be made by school-level committees by July 15, district-level committees by July 30, and finalised by September. If no decision is reached within 45 days, the matter will be referred to an appellate committee. Sood said the law was drafted after consultations with parents and education experts to curb the commercialisation of education and safeguard the interests of students. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
New Indian Express
4 days ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Delhi cap on school fees should be emulated elsewhere
For decades, rising private school costs have created severe dilemmas for parents. Fragmented and ineffective regulation left families vulnerable, while private schools operated largely unchecked, opening themselves to criticism that profit, not educational welfare, drives them. For many less privileged families, even a modest fee increase from ₹1,000 to ₹1,500 can represent an overwhelming financial burden. And some private schools are known for their galloping fees that make even the prosperous frown. The Bill introduces strict oversight and accountability so that random hikes do not blindside parents and schools adhere to reasonable practices that balance their costs and parents' concerns. While the legislation does not retroactively review or penalise past fee hikes and does not explicitly cover playschools or preprimary centres unless legally recognised, it has elicited a positive reaction in general. The matter of inaction on past hikes remains a niggle for a section of parents. Schools—private, aided or government-run—are the first formal platform for imparting knowledge and must remain equitable. The Delhi School Education Bill is a necessary step against the commodification of education and sets an example for other states to follow suit. It should be the stepping stone to tackle the other, bigger blot on the education sector—uncontrolled fee increases in private universities across the country.
India Gazette
03-07-2025
- Politics
- India Gazette
Mentors appointed in 56 Delhi government schools, focus on improving performance
New Delhi [India], July 3 (ANI): The Directorate of Education, Delhi, has appointed senior officers as mentors in 56 government schools that recorded the lowest pass percentage (up to 45%) in classes 9 and 11 during the 2024-25 session. Each officer will guide one school until the 2025-26 session, conduct inspections every fortnight, and upload reports on the MIS portal, said a senior official in the Directorate of Education. This initiative is linked to the 'Mission Mathematics' and special enrichment classes campaign aimed at strengthening foundational understanding of mathematics for classes 6 to 10. The inspection reports will include assessments of subject-wise performance, student attendance, use of teaching-learning materials (TLM), and more. District and zonal officers will oversee the effective implementation of these programmes. The Delhi government is planning to introduce an ordinance to regulate private school fees. 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 Rs 50,000 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 April 16, show-cause notices were served to 10 schools with regard to the arbitrary fee hike and those who 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 the 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 announced previously many times that such fee hikes and harassment of parents and students won't 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)
Mint
05-06-2025
- Business
- Mint
School fee hike row: DPS Dwarka cancels order striking names of 30 students over failure to pay hiked fee
DPS Dwarka informed the Delhi High Court that it has withdrawn its order removing the names of over 30 students due to non-payment of increased fees by their parents. As Justice Sachin Datta's bench convened to deliver a verdict on the parents' plea challenging the school's action, the school's counsel stated that the decision had been withdrawn given an earlier order issued by a coordinate bench led by Justice Vikas Mahajan, as reported by Hindustan Times. Last Wednesday, justice Mahajan had directed the directed the expelled students to pay 50% of the increased fees for the academic year 2024-25, pending DOE's decision on their representation. Taking note of the submission, justice Datta remarked that the grievance no longer survived and said that he would pass an appropriate order, taking on record the statement. 'Thus the grievance does not survive. I'll take note of the fact that you have withdrawn the order. I'll pass an appropriate order with observations and directions,' Justice Datta said, HT reported. LiveLaw reported citing cousel, 'We have withdrawn the suspension order striking off students and have filed an affidavit to that effect on Monday.' Earlier, ANI reported on June 2, citing sources, that the Delhi government is preparing to introduce an ordinance aimed at regulating fees in private schools. The draft of the proposed ordinance, titled the Delhi School Education Bill, 2025, has reportedly been sent to the Law Department for review. The move follows a meeting held on April 29, chaired by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, during which the Delhi government approved a bill to regulate school fees in both private and government institutions across the national capital. On April 16, show-cause notices were issued to 10 schools over arbitrary fee hikes and failure to submit their audit reports. The current Delhi government has already collected audited financial reports from 600 schools as part of its ongoing effort to regulate school fee structures. (With inputs from agencies)
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Business Standard
30-05-2025
- Politics
- Business Standard
Delhi govt cracks down on private school fee hikes, plans ordinance
The Delhi government is preparing to introduce an ordinance within a week to regulate fees in private schools, aiming to curb arbitrary hikes and strengthen oversight. The draft, part of the proposed Delhi School Education Bill, 2025, includes penalties of up to ₹50,000 for violations and provisions for the confiscation of school property in repeat offences. According to a report by news agency ANI, the draft ordinance has already been sent to the Law Department for vetting. It proposes the formation of committees at the school, district, and review levels to assess and approve fee structures. The bill was initially scheduled for presentation during a special legislative session on May 13–14, which was later cancelled. It is now expected to be tabled as a full bill in the upcoming Monsoon Session. DPS Dwarka incident triggers public outrage The move follows mounting concerns over unregulated fee hikes, particularly after a controversy involving DPS Dwarka, where several students were reportedly expelled for failing to pay increased fees. The Delhi High Court intervened, terming the school's actions 'inhuman' and ordering the reinstatement of affected students upon partial payment of the hiked fee. Parents alleged that 'bouncers' were deployed to block entry, and some students were confined to the library. Show-cause notices served to defaulting schools On April 16, the government issued show-cause notices to 10 schools accused of arbitrary fee increases and failing to submit mandatory audit reports. So far, the government has collected audit reports from 600 schools, though the names of the penalised institutions have not been disclosed. New audit framework and corruption checks planned Delhi Education Minister Ashish Sood earlier told ANI that a 'strong documentation system' would be established to scrutinise past approvals of fee hikes, investigate potential corruption, and prevent future malpractice. 'We will not tolerate any such malpractice under any circumstances,' he said. 'We aim to collect audit reports from all 1,670 schools in Delhi. There will be no room for dishonesty,' Sood had said. Chief Minister vows to protect students and parents Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has also reiterated the government's commitment to ensuring fair treatment of parents and students. She has stated that unauthorised fee hikes and harassment will not be tolerated under her administration.
