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Hindustan Times
3 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Fee hike case: DPS Dwarka withdraws expulsion order against more than 30 students
The Delhi Public School (DPS), Dwarka on Thursday informed the Delhi high court that it has withdrawn the order expelling more than 30 students for non-payment of hiked fees, just minutes before the court was to pronounce its verdict in the case. The school had struck off the names of the students on May 9 and barred them from entering the premises on May 13, triggering protests by dozens of parents. The move escalated an ongoing standoff over fee hikes, with many parents refusing to pay the revised structure without the Directorate of Education's (DoE) approval. In response, the DoE passed an order on May 15 directing immediate reinstatement of the students. As justice Sachin Datta assembled to deliver his ruling on the parents' plea, the school's counsel submitted that the expulsion order had been withdrawn, and that the students' names had been reinstated, subject to parents paying fees in line with an earlier order by the high court. That order, passed on May 22, directed students to pay 50% of the increased fees for the 2024–25 session, pending a final decision by DoE. The school's lawyer also informed the bench that an affidavit to that effect had already been filed earlier in the week. Taking note of the submission, justice Datta observed that the grievance no longer survived. 'I will take note of the fact that you have withdrawn the order. I will pass an appropriate order with observations and directions,' the judge said. Delhi education minister Ashish Sood earlier announced the government's intent to bring in an ordinance to implement the Delhi School Education (Transparency in Fixation and Regulation of Fees) Bill, 2025, aimed at curbing arbitrary fee hikes by private institutions. DPS Dwarka had hiked the fees for the 2025-26 academic session, following which over 100 parents challenged the directive before the HC, demanding that the school be directed to collect only DoE-approved fees for both current and future academic years. In their plea, the parents alleged that DPS Dwarka violated previous court orders prohibiting schools from harassing students over non-payment of unauthorised fees. They also claimed the school deployed bouncers to prevent students from entering, despite judicial restraint. On April 16, the high court slammed the school for treating the students in a 'shabby and inhuman' manner by confining them to the library over failure to pay increased fees. Citing an inspection report by the district magistrate, justice Sachin Datta remarked that 'the school deserves to be shut down' and warned that inability to pay fees does not entitle schools to subject students to 'such indignity'. The court had directed the school to immediately stop confining students to the library or denying them access to classes and facilities. It also instructed the DoE to conduct regular inspections to ensure compliance. The school had submitted that the action followed proper procedure of issuing show cause notice, mails, messages and phone calls after unpaid dues of the students in question rose to approximately ₹42 lakh till the academic year 2024-25. Senior advocate Pinaki Mishra, representing the school, informed the court that the action was taken before the commencement of the vacations to enable students to get admitted in another school and that the deployment of bouncers and security staff was imperative in the wake of various threats of kidnapping the students. He further submitted that fees collected from students was the only source of income for the school since it catered to various expenses, and the school had been operating with a deficit of ₹31 crores for over 10 years. On May 16, the high court offered to stay DPS Dwarka's decision by stating that the hike was passed in defiance of the law that mandates schools to issue show cause notices (SCN) before taking such an action and asked if the school deprived 'sadistic pleasure' from such a decision. The law, rule 35(4) of the Delhi School Education Rules, 1973, mandates schools to strike off the names of the students from their rolls after giving the parents or their guardian a reasonable opportunity of showing cause against the proposed action.
Time of India
29-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Delhi HC allows DPS Dwarka students back in class, Orders 50% payment of hiked fees
The Delhi High Court has allowed students of Delhi Public School (DPS), Dwarka—whose names were struck off the rolls for non-payment of hiked fees—to continue attending classes, subject to partial fee payment. Justice Vikas Mahajan, while hearing a petition filed by over 100 parents, directed that the students be readmitted on the condition that 50% of the increased fee for academic years 2024–25 onwards is deposited. Background: Fee hike and expulsion row The dispute traces back to May 9, when parents received email notifications informing them that their children's names had been removed from the rolls due to alleged non-payment of school fees. The action, according to the plea, followed the school's decision to raise monthly fees, first to ₹7,000 and then to ₹9,000. Parents alleged coercive measures had been used in recent years to collect unapproved fees—including deploying bouncers at school gates. The plea submitted to the court accused the school of violating land allotment conditions and claimed repeated non-compliance with directions issued by the Directorate of Education (DoE). The parents further questioned the legitimacy of the Delhi government's audit into the school's finances, calling it insufficient and lacking transparency. They demanded both a forensic audit and an audit by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India, insisting the findings be made public before any fee hike is accepted. Court's observations and interim arrangement Justice Mahajan noted that while private unaided schools are permitted to determine fees based on projected expenses without prior DoE approval, such fee statements are ultimately subject to DoE's review. If found irrational or amounting to profiteering or commercialisation, DoE is empowered to reject the enhancement and order a rollback. The court recorded that the DoE had already rejected the fee hike for the academic year 2023–24, and though the school challenged this order, no stay was granted. The interim relief sought by parents pertained to the subsequent academic years, including 2024–25 and the current year, 2025–26. In its order, the court held that in the absence of a DoE decision rejecting the fee hike for these years, the parents are required to pay as per the school's submitted fee statements. Accordingly, it directed that the students be allowed to continue in their respective classes on the condition that 50% of the hiked fee component is paid, while the base fee must be deposited in full. The court added that this arrangement will remain in force until the final disposal of the writ petition. Pending matters and future proceedings An urgent application was also filed by the petitioners, seeking instructions to ensure the school charges only DoE-approved fees for academic session 2025–26 and onwards. The court issued notice on the main writ petition and scheduled the next hearing for August 28. In a related development, a coordinate bench has reserved its judgment on a separate petition involving 32 students who were also expelled over non-payment of fees. Policy context This legal battle coincides with the Delhi government's proposal of a new law aimed at curbing arbitrary fee hikes in private schools. The draft legislation includes setting up fee regulation committees at the school, district, and state levels, with penalties for coercive actions like denying students entry to classrooms. As the matter progresses in court, the outcome may have broader implications for fee regulation in Delhi's private education sector. Ready to empower your child for the AI era? Join our program now! Hurry, only a few seats left.
