Latest news with #TransparencyinFixationandRegulationofFees
Time of India
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Draft bill 2025: Delhi schools may face Rs 50k fine per student for charging excess fees
NEW DELHI: The Delhi School Education (Transparency in Fixation and Regulation of Fees) draft bill 2025, which is likely to be passed in the monsoon session of Delhi assembly, will have strict provisions for schools found to increase fees. The bill aims to set guidelines for all private and govt schools in the city to regulate school fees. Sources in the education department of Delhi govt said that the bill has been given final shape with provisions such as a Rs 50,000 fine to be imposed by the director of education in the case of each student. The administration would also have the power to seal and sell the school property in case of repeated violations and fines not being paid. The sources added that there would also be a provision to double the amount of the fine if it is not paid within a fixed timeframe. Delhi govt had earlier called a special session of the assembly on Tuesday and Wednesday to pass the bill, but it has now been postponed. The sources said that the bill is now likely to be passed in the monsoon session, which is expected in July. The bill's draft advocates the establishment of a school-level fee regulation committee, a district fee appellate committee and a revision committee to oversee fee structures and address grievances. According to the draft bill, every school shall constitute, within two months of the passage of the bill, a school-level fee regulation committee for each academic year. The panel would comprise representatives of the school management, the principal, three teachers and five parents. The observer would be the director of education of the committee. Similarly, in the district fee appellate committee, the chairperson would be the deputy director of education and the member secretary would be the deputy director of education (zonal). It would comprise a chartered accountant (CA), parents and teachers. In the revision committee, there would be an eminent person from the education sector. The bill mandates the selection of parent and teacher representatives by draw of lots and decision-making by majority vote within committees. It bars schools from taking coercive action against students for non-payment of fees, such as striking off names from rolls, withholding examination results, denying access to classes or activities, or subjecting students to public humiliation or psychological harassment. The draft bill also states that there should be representation of all stakeholders, including parents, teachers and members from Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, backward classes, and women, in the school-level fee regulation committees . "For the first time, the 1,677 private schools in Delhi will be governed by legally regulated fee guidelines," said an official. He said that 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," the official added.
Hindustan Times
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Delhi govt cancels two-day assembly session scheduled for May 13-14
The Delhi government has deferred its two-day assembly scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday, and new dates for the session will be announced in the coming days, assembly officials said on Monday. The government did not give a reason for the move. It was likely to table and pass the Delhi School Education (Transparency in Fixation and Regulation of Fees) Bill, 2025, for regulating private school fees during the session. 'The sitting of the second part of the second session (budget session) of the eighth legislative assembly of Delhi scheduled for May 13 (Tuesday) and May 14 (Wednesday) has been cancelled. The government has decided to defer the session. New dates will be announced later,' said an order issued by deputy secretary Mukesh C Sharma. Previously, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) had postponed the election for member of standing committee and wards committee due to the conflict with Pakistan. 'The municipal secretariat office is likely to take a call on fresh dates on Tuesday,' an MCD official said. The Delhi Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) held its legislature group meeting at the secretariat on Sunday and discussed the bills and issues to be taken up during the two-day session and schemes launched by the government over the last two months. On April 29, the Delhi cabinet approved the draft bill, Delhi School Education (Transparency in Fixation and Regulation of Fees) Bill 2025, to regulate fees in private schools in the city. The bill will apply to all 1,677 private unaided schools in the city and seeks to make the process of fee determination by schools transparent and include parents in the process. The bill came after protests by parents from across the city against fee hikes in private schools. The first session of the newly constituted Delhi assembly started on February 24 when all the newly elected MLAs took oath. In that session the speaker was elected, the lieutenant governor (LG) gave an address, and the CAG (Comptroller and Auditor General of India) reports were tabled. The second session or the budget session started on March 24. Chief minister Rekha Gupta presented the budget for 2025-26 with an outlay of ₹1 lakh crore, marking a 31.5% increase over the previous year. Reacting to the cancellation of the assembly session, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Delhi unit chief Saurabh Bharadwaj said on X: 'Central government and the entire BJP are on the back foot due to the untimely ceasefire declared by America instead of the Central Government. BJP, which is running away from facing the questions of the country, has now also cancelled the Delhi Assembly session scheduled to be held tomorrow.' The BJP did not respond to requests for a comment.
Hindustan Times
05-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Delhi assembly session on May 13 and 14; school fee bill to be introdudced
A two-day special session of Delhi assembly is likely to be held on May 13 and 14, during which the Delhi School Education (Transparency in Fixation and Regulation of Fees) Bill 2025 will be taken up, among other issues in the city, several MLAs aware of the meeting said on Sunday. A formal notification regarding the session is likely to be issued on Monday, officials said. 'We were informed that session will be called on May 13 and 14. Some bills may be related to Delhi's development, education, and others could address issues like waterlogging with the monsoon approaching. Although the specifics have not yet been disclosed, it has been informed that the assembly session will take place on these two days,' Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Ravinder Negi said. Other topics that will be discussed are the Vaya Vandan Yojana for senior citizens, Swachhta mission, and various other initiatives of the Delhi government which were introduced in the past two months, BJP's Malviya Nagar MLA Satish Upadhyay said. A legislature group meeting of Delhi BJP was conducted at the Delhi Secretariat on Sunday and discussions were held over the bills and issues to be taken up during the two-day session, MLAs present at the meeting said, adding that chief minister Rekha Gupta and other ministers were also present at the meeting. Upadhyay — former vice chairman of New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) — said that the fee regulations bill is regarding the uncontrolled fee hikes in Delhi schools. 'We are not against the schools, but we want to help parents. There should be regulation and a three-tier system will be introduced to manage how fee should be increased and monitored,' he said. Greater Kailash MLA Shikha Rai said, 'All MLAs were given directions to take the welfare schemes to the people. From Ayushman Bharat to 20-day sanitation drive, we have been asked to take part and promote these initiatives....A new bill regarding reforms in school education is being brought (to assembly), as we have seen uncontrolled hikes in school fees.' On April 29, the Delhi cabinet approved the draft bill — Delhi School Education (Transparency in Fixation and Regulation of Fees) Bill 2025 —to regulate fees in private schools in the Capital. The bill will apply to all 1,677 private and unaided schools in the city and seeks to make the process of fee determination by the schools transparent and ensure the involvement of parents in the process. The bill was introduced in the wake of protests held by parents from various parts of the city flagging exhorbitant school fee hikes in private schools. This is likely to be the third assembly session of the newly elected BJP government in Delhi. The first session started on February 24 where all the newly elected MLAs took oath. It saw the election of the Speaker and an address by LG along with the tabling of CAG reports. The second session or the Budget session started on March 24.
Indian Express
01-05-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
From CPI-based adjustment to infrastructure: how other states regulate school fee norms
The Delhi government's draft Bill for regulation of fee hike in private and government-aided private schools across the Capital draws on similar efforts made in other states, which have brought in several measures to tackle the issue. On Tuesday, the Delhi Cabinet approved the draft of the Delhi School Education (Transparency in Fixation and Regulation of Fees) Bill, 2025, to regulate fees in such schools. The move came after months of protests by parents who have raised concerns about profiteering and charging of 'illegal, arbitrary' fees by private schools. Official sources previously told The Indian Express that under the proposed Bill, the factors for determination of fee will be a school's location of the school, its education standard as prescribed by the government, the infrastructure and facilities its provides, expenditure on maintenance determined by the government, excess funds generated from NRIs or as part of charity, salary of teachers as well as revenue surplus. 'There is a clear lack of uniformity in regulation, …every state has different policies. Many private schools are located in Gurgaon or UP because the fee regulation in these places is not as strict. The regulations and fee hike issues have remained more complicated and severe in Delhi because of the different nature of regulations,' said Kavitha A Sharma, Vice Chairperson, Managing Board, Springdales School. School fee regulation in other states Ranging from a Consumer Price Index (CPI) based adjustment in states like Uttar Pradesh and Haryana to stern annual fee hike caps in states like Punjab to similar measures in Maharashtra, where an increase beyond the limit requires added sanctions from parent bodies, the regulations in place have attempted to keep profiteering at bay. Similar factors to be considered in Delhi are in place in other states ruled by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). For instance, as per norms under Section 9 of the Educational Institutions (Regulation of Fee) Act, 2011, in Maharashtra, a school's location, infrastructure available to students for qualitative education, educational standard, expenditure on administration, and maintenance are considered. As for the staff salaries, reasonable yearly salary increments, salary components for qualified teaching and non-teaching staff are considered, as well as expenditure incurred on the students over the total income of the school and the reasonable surplus for qualitative development of the students. The Punjab government also takes into account 'the future plans for expansion and betterment of institutions, subject, however, to restrictions of non-profiteering and non-charging of capitation fee' Infrastructure and facilities available or to be made available, investment made, and salaries paid to the teachers and staff are also included among the factors to be taken into consideration for fixing or increasing school fees in Punjab, as listed under Section 6 of the Punjab Regulation of Fee of Unaided Educational Institutions Act. In Haryana, the school management needs to submit details of the minimum facilities being provided and the mandatory fee components to be charged for the ensuing academic year on or before February 1. On the fixation of fees, the Uttar Pradesh Government permits an annual fee revision for each grade equivalent to average per capita increase of the monthly salary of teaching staff of previous year, but the fee increase cannot be more than the yearly percentage increase in CPI added to 5 per cent of fee realised from student. Fee hike regulations in different states: * In Uttar Pradesh, the Self-Financed Independent Schools (Fee Regulation) Act, 2018, caps annual hikes at 9.9% — a fixed 5% plus a Consumer Price Index (CPI)-based adjustment * Haryana amended its Education Rules in 2003 to tie fee hikes to the national CPI, allowing a maximum increase of 5% above the index * Chandigarh follows the Punjab Regulation of Fee of Unaided Educational Institutions Act, under which schools cannot hike fees by more than 8% annually without district committee approval * In Maharashtra, the Educational Institutions (Regulation of Fee) Act, 2011, allows schools to increase fees by up to 15% once every two years, but any hike beyond that requires approval from 76% of parents or a PTA executive committee.
