Latest news with #TransparencyinFixationandRegulationofFees)Bill
News18
3 hours ago
- Politics
- News18
Delhi: Private Schools Now Need Govt Approval Before Hiking Fees
Last Updated: All private schools in Delhi must now get govt approval before hiking fees, under a new bill aiming to end arbitrary increases and bring all 1,443 institutions under regulation. All private and unaided schools in the capital will now need prior government approval before raising tuition fees, Delhi Education Minister Ashish Sood announced on Thursday. Until now, the regulation applied only to around 350 schools built on government-allotted land. With the introduction of the Delhi School Education (Transparency in Fixation and Regulation of Fees) Bill, 2025, the rule will extend to all 1,443 private schools across the city, including those operating on private land. Calling the legislation 'a major step towards ending arbitrary fee hikes," Sood said, 'This bill is not just a formality. It is a promise to parents that fee structures will no longer be manipulated at will." According to the government, the new law addresses gaps in the existing Delhi School Education Act and Rules, 1973, which left many schools outside the purview of fee regulation. Officials said previous directives, including a 2022 order invalidating proposed hikes for 2020–21 and 2021–22, were often ignored or challenged in court. The DoE noted that after the COVID-19 pandemic, 227 schools were granted permission to raise fees, while in 2023–24 only 28 of 262 proposals were reviewed, allowing many institutions to hike charges without scrutiny. However, the bill has drawn sharp criticism from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). Delhi state president Saurabh Bharadwaj alleged the move was a 'diversion" aimed at protecting over 350 private schools from existing High Court and Supreme Court directives that already required prior approval for fee hikes. The bill was introduced in the Delhi Assembly on Monday and is expected to be taken up during the ongoing monsoon session.' (With inputs from PTI) view comments First Published: 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.
Indian Express
5 hours ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Private schools in Delhi must seek govt's approval before raising fees
All private and unaided schools in Delhi will now need prior permission from the government before raising their fees from now on, Education Minister Ashish Sood said on Thursday. Until now, only around 350 schools built on government-allotted land were required to seek approval before hiking their fees, he said. 'With the introduction of the Delhi School Education (Transparency in Fixation and Regulation of Fees) Bill, 2025, this regulation will now apply to all private schools across the city,' Sood said, describing the legislation as a major step towards ending arbitrary fee hikes and increasing accountability in the education system. 'This bill is not just a formality. It is a promise to parents that fee structures will no longer be manipulated at will,' he reiterated. According to official data, 'The new law also addresses various shortcomings in the existing system, which relied on the Delhi School Education Act and Rules, 1973 (DSEAR), and several court judgments.' These older rules applied mostly to schools built on government land with specific allotment conditions, leaving a large number of schools outside the purview of fee regulation, it said. The official record further mentioned that nearly 1,443 private schools, mostly located on private land or on government land without such conditions, have remained unregulated for years. The Department of Education (DoE), in an official order dated June 8, 2022, had declared that fee hikes proposed for the 2020-?21 academic session were invalid. Schools were not permitted to charge any increased fees for the sessions 2020 to 2021 and 2021 to 22. However, this order was often ignored or challenged by private institutions, it noted. It further said that soon after the COVID-19 pandemic, the then government approved fee hikes for 227 schools. The DoE also said that out of 262 schools that submitted fee hike proposals for 2023-?24, only 28 were reviewed. 'Such a casual approach allowed schools to raise fees without scrutiny. Several of these institutions later obtained stay orders against government circulars meant to curb such hikes,' the order added. In response to Ashish Sood's allegations, AAP Delhi state president Saurabh Bharadwaj criticised the bill, calling it a diversion. 'The BJP minister is misleading Delhi's middle class. This bill is designed to protect more than 350 private schools from High Court and Supreme Court rulings that previously kept their fee structures under tight scrutiny,' he said. Bharadwaj claimed that under existing laws and court directions, these schools were already required to seek permission from the director of education before increasing fees. 'The bill seeks to undo these conditions,' he alleged. The Delhi School Education (Transparency in Fixation and Regulation of Fees) Bill, 2025, that will regulate the fee hike in all schools was introduced in the Assembly on Monday.
India Today
a day ago
- Politics
- India Today
Delhi brings new law to regulate private school fee hikes. Explained
The Delhi government has tabled the Delhi School Education (Transparency in Fixation and Regulation of Fees) Bill, 2025 in a move to curb unregulated fee hikes in private unaided decision follows prolonged protests from parents across the capital over sudden and steep increases in school the bill 'historic', the Delhi government has said it is a much-needed step towards accountability and fairness in school fee The legislation will apply to all 1,677 private unaided schools in Delhi, including institutions built on private land and those run by minority groups, which previously operated with limited regulatory THREE-TIER REGULATORY SYSTEM INTRODUCEDThe bill introduces a structured mechanism to determine fee revisions. At the base level, every school must set up a School-Level Fee Regulation Committee, comprising representatives from school management, teaching staff, and randomly selected body will assess and approve proposed fee hikes of up to 15% annually, based on transparent criteria such as employee salaries, infrastructure costs, and demographic disputes arise at this level, they can be escalated to a District Fee Appellate Committee led by the local Deputy Director of unresolved or further contested issues, the matter can be taken to the State-Level Revision Committee, chaired by an independent education expert. Decisions made at this level will be binding for a period of three DEADLINES AND PENALTIES OUTLINEDAccording to the bill, schools must submit their proposed fee hikes by July 31 each decisions are expected by will attract penalties ranging from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 10 lakh. In cases where schools do not refund overcharged fees on time, the fines will double. Repeated violations could even lead to derecognition or a government takeover of the AND CONCERNS FROM PARENT GROUPSDespite the government's strong defence of the bill, it has drawn criticism from several quarters.A key concern is the requirement that complaints must be filed by at least 15% of affected parents, which may discourage individual grievances from being also point out that allowing schools to raise fees by up to 15% each year, even with conditions, essentially legalises steep annual hikes instead of limiting them more strictly. The bill has also been faulted for not mandating independent financial audits of schools, a loophole that could weaken contentious clause is the retroactive implementation of the law from April 1, 2025. This could potentially validate earlier fee increases by schools before the law was in DEFENDS THE MOVEDelhi Education Minister Ashish Sood has backed the legislation, calling it 'the most democratic bill ever introduced' in the context of school fee gives parents a direct role in the decision-making process,' he said, adding that the bill ensures transparency and protects families from arbitrary fee the new law moves forward, much will depend on its execution and the participation of stakeholders across the system.- Ends
India Today
a day ago
- Politics
- India Today
Parents welcome Delhi's new school fee bill to curb rising education costs
In a significant move to address long-standing concerns over rising school fees, Delhi Education Minister Ashish Sood presented the "Delhi School Education (Transparency in Fixation and Regulation of Fees) Bill, 2025" in the Delhi Assembly. The proposed legislation aims to tackle the issue of arbitrary fee hikes by private schools and to end the commercialisation of education. This initiative seeks to provide relief to countless students and their families across the national the assembly, Sood stated, "Today, I have come here with a permanent solution to the problems faced by millions of parents and children in Delhi." This bill is seen as a pivotal step in shifting the focus of education from profit-making to learning and AS A SACRED DUTYEducation Minister Sood emphasised the duty to provide accessible education, describing it as "a sacred duty -- a duty we must fulfil for the progress and prosperity of our motherland." The bill, according to Sood, is an attempt to honour the vision of Dr. Mukherjee by ensuring education becomes a pathway to a better future rather than a financial burden on REACTIONS Parents of school students expressed their gratitude towards Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and Education Minister Ashish Sood for their efforts in passing the bill. Jahanvi Kaur, a parent, remarked, "No minister has ever had such a commendable performance. The fact that this bill was passed is a very wonderful thing."CHALLENGES ADDRESSEDThe bill addresses critical issues such as the unchecked commercialisation of education. During the session, Sood declared, "Education is not a thing to be sold. This bill aims to halt the commercialisation of education."The bill was introduced during the first day of the Monsoon session of the Eighth Legislative Assembly, which started on Monday and is scheduled to run until August 8. The session may be extended if necessary to accommodate legislative FOR THE FUTURESood further elaborated on the vision behind the bill, stating, "This bill is a small effort on our part to honour Dr. Mukherjee's vision and to ensure that education does not become a burden on the people of India, but instead becomes a path leading them to a better future."A NEW ERA IN EDUCATIONThe introduction of the "Delhi School Education (Transparency in Fixation and Regulation of Fees) Bill, 2025" marks a significant milestone in Delhi's education policy. By regulating fee hikes and ending the commercialisation of education, the bill aspires to make quality education accessible to all, fulfilling the need for educational equity and setting a precedent for other states to follow.(With PTI inputs)- Ends
Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Delhi Assembly debates school fee regulation bill, AAP demands review by select committee
A day after the Delhi government introduced the Delhi School Education (Transparency in Fixation and Regulation of Fees) Bill, which seeks to regulate private school fee revisions in the capital, the Assembly witnessed heated debate on the legislation on Tuesday, with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) demanding that the bill be sent to a select committee for review. Chief minister Rekha Gupta with her cabinet colleague and law minister Ashish Sood at the Delhi assembly on Tuesday. (HT Photo) Education minister Ashish Sood said the bill aims to establish a robust institutional mechanism to ensure transparency and accountability in the regulation of school fees. 'The proposed framework involves participation from all stakeholders — parents, teachers, and school management. The government is open to discussions on the provisions,' he said. BJP MLA Satish Upadhyay (Malviya Nagar) called the bill a much-needed reform to protect parents from repeated fee hikes. 'The previous government was more focused on advertisements while parents were being fleeced through various charges. This bill will bring real change. Importantly, it gives parents representation in fee regulation committees — they will no longer be silent spectators,' he said. However, leader of the opposition Atishi described the bill as a 'legal cover' for increasing school fees. 'We've proposed amendments based on parent feedback. These will be put to vote tomorrow,' she said. AAP MLA Prem Chauhan (Deoli) echoed the criticism, pointing out that the bill empowers school committees to fix fee structures without mandating financial audits. 'Even filing a complaint requires support from 15% of parents, which is an unfair hurdle. Parents won't have majority representation in fee committees. Complaints will get stuck in the process. We demand the bill be referred to a select committee,' he said. AAP members also called for an immediate freeze on school fee hikes. Assembly Speaker Vijender Gupta said proposed amendments from all members would be presented on Wednesday, followed by voting. Other assembly issues In addition to the fee bill, several other local concerns were raised. Atishi flagged the demolition of slums across the capital, accusing the BJP of misleading residents with false promises. Deputy speaker Mohan Singh Bisht said a hospital building in Shiv Vihar, Mustafabad, damaged during the riots, remains in disrepair. 'A new hospital must be built. The area has a population of over 5 lakh,' he said. Health minister assured that the matter would be addressed. Other MLAs raised issues ranging from waterlogging and drainage problems in Kirari to community dog management and delays in pension disbursement for DTC employees. A scheduled discussion on CAG reports was postponed to Wednesday.
