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Indian Express
6 hours ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Parents assembled at Jantar Mantar over private school fee hikes, seek reforms
Hundreds of parents assembled at the Jantar Mantar here on Saturday under the banner of United Parents' Voice (UPV), protesting against alleged arbitrary fee hikes, demanding greater financial transparency and accountability in the private education sector. Parents said their repeated appeals to authorities had gone unanswered, compelling them to take to the streets once again, a statement from UPV (a parent group) said. The protest followed an earlier attempt to engage with the Delhi government on June 30 when a group of parents waited for more than three hours to meet Chief Minister Rekha Gupta. While a small delegation was granted a brief meeting and assured of further dialogue, they said no follow-up communication was received despite formal reminders, it added. Parents submitted a detailed memorandum addressed to the lieutenant governor, chief minister and education minister, reiterating concerns over unapproved fee hikes, alleged misuse of school funds and violations of student rights. They also expressed their opposition to the recently passed Fee Regulation Ordinance, 2025, which they claimed was enacted without adequate public consultation. The memorandum called for a rollback of unratified fee increases, independent audits by the comptroller and auditor general and forensic experts and government-supervised elections for parent-teacher associations to ensure more inclusive school governance, the statement said. It also urged authorities to act against schools that allegedly shame or penalise students over fee issues, a practice parents said violates the right to education under Article 21A of the Constitution. The protesting parents further demanded that schools be mandated to follow a monthly fee collection system, citing the financial strain caused by advance lump-sum payments. They also advocated for infrastructure procurement through the government e-marketplace (GeM) portal to ensure cost-effective and transparent spending. According to the statement, another key demand was the public disclosure of fee structures approved by the Directorate of Education on both government and school websites. Rahul Gupta, a parent and member of UPV said the protest was an outcome of continued silence from the administration. 'We have tried all channels, emails, meetings, even written representations to the highest offices. Today's gathering is a collective call for fairness and dignity in our children's education,' he said. The group said that their concerns had also been communicated earlier through email and speed post to the president, prime minister, and union home minister, seeking urgent intervention. UPV reaffirmed its commitment to peaceful civic action and appealed to the government to initiate an open dialogue with parents.
Indian Express
10 hours ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
‘Desperate cry for children's future': Parents demonstrate at Jantar Mantar amid fee hike row
'Parents Are Not ATMs', 'Don't Sell Education, Serve It', and 'Education, Not Exploitation' were among the slogans on placards as hundreds of parents of students from private schools across Delhi gathered at Jantar Mantar on Saturday morning. Alleging arbitrary fee hikes, opaque school finances, and harassment of students over unpaid dues, a memorandum was submitted to top Delhi officials with 10 key demands, said protesters. CAG audits, scrapping of the Delhi government's Fee Regulation Ordinance 2025, and monthly fee collection — instead of advance payment — were included in the key demands raised in the memorandum. Parents alleged that their demands have not been addressed despite holding meetings and writing to the authorities. Saturday's demonstration was held under the banner of United Parents' Voice (UPV). Other key demands highlighted in the memorandum are 'putting an end to harassment and discrimination against children in schools, fair and transparent elections to Parent-Teacher Associations, formal tenders for vendor services and school infrastructure, revocation of CA licences in fraudulent school audits, mandatory online display of fees,' said a protesting parent at the venue. 'This isn't just a protest …it is a desperate cry for our children's dignity, rights and future,' said a protester, adding that the parents were forced to take to the streets after 'trying everything'. The Delhi Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, approved the Delhi School Education (Transparency in Fixation and Regulation of Fees) Ordinance, 2025, on June 10 amid concerns over arbitrary fee hikes by the private schools. Since then, parents have protested at least twice in June, making Saturday's protest the third such outcry. According to Education Minister Ashish Sood's previous announcements, the Ordinance regulates fee hikes, allowing only one hike every three years, subject to approval by school-level committees. It also empowers oversight bodies with fines up to Rs 10 lakh. There has been a three-tier appeals structure that has been set up via school-level committees, district appellate body and state-level body. It also mandates refunds and penalties within defined timelines if excess fees are charged. However, senior AAP leaders have strongly opposed the move, stating that it is 'anti-parent' and alleging that the parents' voices were ignored as the Bill was drafted 'in secrecy'. Some parents,who have been protesting against the Ordinance, earlier claimed during a protest that no consultations were held to address their concerns in the Ordinance.
Time of India
13 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Nayab Saini welcomes Delhi CM Rekha Gupta to village, celebrates her birthday
Julana/Jind: Nayab Singh Saini, along with programme coordinator Captain Yogesh Bairagi and other BJP functionaries, welcomed Delhi CM Rekha Gupta by offering her Kothli in accordance with Haryana's tradition. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now They also celebrated her birthday by cutting a cake at the event. On the occasion, Rekha Gupta said, "Mai aap sab ko aasvast karna chahti hu ki bhai bahan ki jodi dhumma tha degi (I want to assure everyone that this brother-sister Nayab Saini-Rekha Gupta duo will create such an impact that it will raise smoke)." "People in Delhi say that smoke causes pollution. But I want to say this smoke won't be from pollution; it will be from development," she said. Rekha Gupta, who visited her ancestral Nandgarh village for the first time after becoming the CM, praised Saini's working style, stating that Haryana is swiftly moving on the path of development under his leadership. She emphasised that the vision of a developed India will be realised through a developed Haryana and Delhi. Highlighting the improved road network, she expressed confidence that Haryana will continue achieving new heights in development under Saini's leadership. She also lauded the BJP and PM Modi for empowering ordinary citizens, saying that only a party like BJP could make a common girl from a village like Nandgarh the chief minister of Delhi and a computer operator Haryana chief minister. She shared her deep connection with Nandgarh as her birthplace and thanked the people of Haryana for their continuous support. She noted that today, CM Saini gifted development projects worth Rs 16.8 crore to the region. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Saini said under the leadership of PM Modi, the "triple-engine govt" was rapidly advancing development projects across the state. He said: "The public has shown trust in our govt for the third time, and we will leave no stone unturned to live up to that trust."
News18
16 hours ago
- Politics
- News18
Parents protest at Jantar Mantar over private school fee hikes, seek reforms
New Delhi, Jul 19 (PTI) Hundreds of parents assembled at the Jantar Mantar here on Saturday under the banner of United Parents' Voice (UPV), protesting against alleged arbitrary fee hikes, demanding greater financial transparency and accountability in the private education sector. Parents said their repeated appeals to authorities had gone unanswered, compelling them to take to the streets once again, a statement from UPV (a parent group) said. The protest followed an earlier attempt to engage with the Delhi government on June 30 when a group of parents waited for more than three hours to meet Chief Minister Rekha Gupta. While a small delegation was granted a brief meeting and assured of further dialogue, they said no follow-up communication was received despite formal reminders, it added. Parents submitted a detailed memorandum addressed to the lieutenant governor, chief minister and education minister, reiterating concerns over unapproved fee hikes, alleged misuse of school funds and violations of student rights. They also expressed their opposition to the recently passed Fee Regulation Ordinance, 2025, which they claimed was enacted without adequate public consultation. The memorandum called for a rollback of unratified fee increases, independent audits by the comptroller and auditor general and forensic experts and government-supervised elections for parent-teacher associations to ensure more inclusive school governance, the statement said. It also urged authorities to act against schools that allegedly shame or penalise students over fee issues, a practice parents said violates the right to education under Article 21A of the Constitution. The protesting parents further demanded that schools be mandated to follow a monthly fee collection system, citing the financial strain caused by advance lump-sum payments. They also advocated for infrastructure procurement through the government e-marketplace (GeM) portal to ensure cost-effective and transparent spending. According to the statement, another key demand was the public disclosure of fee structures approved by the Directorate of Education on both government and school websites. Rahul Gupta, a parent and member of UPV said the protest was an outcome of continued silence from the administration. 'We have tried all channels, emails, meetings, even written representations to the highest offices. Today's gathering is a collective call for fairness and dignity in our children's education," he said. The group said that their concerns had also been communicated earlier through email and speed post to the president, prime minister, and union home minister, seeking urgent intervention. UPV reaffirmed its commitment to peaceful civic action and appealed to the government to initiate an open dialogue with parents. PTI SHB OZ OZ view comments First Published: July 19, 2025, 22:15 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
The Print
16 hours ago
- Politics
- The Print
Parents protest at Jantar Mantar over private school fee hikes, seek reforms
The protest followed an earlier attempt to engage with the Delhi government on June 30 when a group of parents waited for more than three hours to meet Chief Minister Rekha Gupta. Parents said their repeated appeals to authorities had gone unanswered, compelling them to take to the streets once again, a statement from UPV (a parent group) said. New Delhi, Jul 19 (PTI) Hundreds of parents assembled at the Jantar Mantar here on Saturday under the banner of United Parents' Voice (UPV), protesting against alleged arbitrary fee hikes, demanding greater financial transparency and accountability in the private education sector. While a small delegation was granted a brief meeting and assured of further dialogue, they said no follow-up communication was received despite formal reminders, it added. Parents submitted a detailed memorandum addressed to the lieutenant governor, chief minister and education minister, reiterating concerns over unapproved fee hikes, alleged misuse of school funds and violations of student rights. They also expressed their opposition to the recently passed Fee Regulation Ordinance, 2025, which they claimed was enacted without adequate public consultation. The memorandum called for a rollback of unratified fee increases, independent audits by the comptroller and auditor general and forensic experts and government-supervised elections for parent-teacher associations to ensure more inclusive school governance, the statement said. It also urged authorities to act against schools that allegedly shame or penalise students over fee issues, a practice parents said violates the right to education under Article 21A of the Constitution. The protesting parents further demanded that schools be mandated to follow a monthly fee collection system, citing the financial strain caused by advance lump-sum payments. They also advocated for infrastructure procurement through the government e-marketplace (GeM) portal to ensure cost-effective and transparent spending. According to the statement, another key demand was the public disclosure of fee structures approved by the Directorate of Education on both government and school websites. Rahul Gupta, a parent and member of UPV said the protest was an outcome of continued silence from the administration. 'We have tried all channels, emails, meetings, even written representations to the highest offices. Today's gathering is a collective call for fairness and dignity in our children's education,' he said. The group said that their concerns had also been communicated earlier through email and speed post to the president, prime minister, and union home minister, seeking urgent intervention. UPV reaffirmed its commitment to peaceful civic action and appealed to the government to initiate an open dialogue with parents. PTI SHB OZ OZ This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
