Latest news with #TransparencyinFixationandRegulationofFees)Bill2025
Time of India
4 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Green-powered & digital, assembly to take up school fees bill
New Delhi: The monsoon session of Delhi Assembly will start on Monday, with several legislative moves planned for the Aug 4-8 sitting, including introducing Delhi School Education (Transparency in Fixation and Regulation of Fees) Bill 2025 and the CAG reports on state finances and the welfare of building and construction workers. During this session, Delhi Assembly will become the first in the country to operate entirely on solar power, said the govt. Vidhan Sabha on Sunday also announced the launch of its transition to a fully digital, paperless legislative platform under the National e-Vidhan Application (NeVA) initiative from Monday. The school education bill, designed to regulate private school fees and protect parents from arbitrary hikes, mandates that no institution shall collect any fee beyond what is approved under the Act and requires the establishment of a school-level fee regulation committee in each of them. You Can Also Check: Delhi AQI | Weather in Delhi | Bank Holidays in Delhi | Public Holidays in Delhi Each committee will consist of teachers, parents and school management representatives, with specific provisions to ensure social diversity and gender representation. A parent cannot serve more than two consecutive terms and the committee must meet at least once before Aug 15 each year, said officials. The management must propose fees for the next three academic years by July 31, with oversight from the committee. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Use an AI Writing Tool That Actually Understands Your Voice Grammarly Install Now Undo If no agreement is reached by Sept 15, the matter must be escalated to the district fee appellate committee. These district-level bodies will include education officials, chartered accountants, school representatives and parents. Their decisions will remain binding for three academic years, though appeals can be made to a higher revision committee. Key factors in determining fee structures will include infrastructure, teacher salaries, location and expenditure-to-income ratios. On Sunday, Union minister of state for law & justice Arjun Ram Meghwal inaugurated a 500-kilowatt rooftop solar plant, praising it as a "model for sustainable governance". The initiative is expected to save up to Rs 1.75 crore annually through net metering, with surplus electricity potentially supplied back to the grid, said Vidhan Sabha Secretariat. Speaker Vijender Gupta described the moves as a "cornerstone" in the assembly's journey towards environmental and administrative reforms. "We are demonstrating how virasat (heritage) and vikaas (development) can move forward hand-in-hand," he said. Chief minister Rekha Gupta said the dual leap into clean energy and digital lawmaking reflected a broader vision for Delhi. "From fixing potholes to transforming schools, this is the beginning of a new work ethic. These are not symbolic steps, they are systemic changes," she said. Key reports, including Finance and Appropriation Accounts for 2023-24 and a few CAG reports, will be be tabled. Power minister Ashish Sood will present documents related to Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission's Green Energy Open Access Regulations, further underlining Delhi's commitment to clean energy. The assembly's solar initiative is projected to yield savings of up to Rs 15 lakh per month and is expected to swiftly recover its cost, said the assembly secretariat. The speaker said, "The successful commissioning of the solar plant marks a new chapter in our commitment to cleaner energy and public responsibility. We are proud to lead by example and demonstrate how legislative institutions can champion environmental stewardship." He said the work of e-Vidhan was completed in just 100 days through the dedicated efforts of the NeVA team. The chief minister described the commissioning of the solar plant as a turning point in institutional accountability towards environmental protection. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Friendship Day wishes , messages and quotes !
Hindustan Times
5 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Delhi govt releases draft school fee bill; to be tabled in Assembly
The upcoming monsoon session of the Delhi assembly set to begin on Monday will see the tabling of the Delhi School Education (Transparency in Fixation and Regulation of Fees) Bill 2025, chief minister Rekha Gupta announced on Saturday, in what will be a significant development amid recent allegations and protests against arbitrary fee hike by city schools. CM Rekha Gupta (RAJ K RAJ /HT PHOTO) The draft bill, which was approved by the Delhi Cabinet in April, covers all the 1,677 private unaided schools in the city, and plans to introduce three major reforms in the fee regulation regime — rightful determination of fees, stiff penalties for non-compliance, and a fee regulation structure that also see participation of parents. On Friday, the draft bill was uploaded on the website of the Delhi government. The proposed reforms come a few months after widespread protests by parents who alleged arbitrary and excessive fee hikes by private schools. Following these demonstrations, the Directorate of Education on April 16 launched action against several unaided schools, initiating proceedings for de-recognition and possible government April 29, the Rekha Gupta-led Cabinet passed Delhi School Education (Transparency in Fixation and Regulation of Fees) Ordinance. '...(the bill) will be a decisive step towards making Delhi's education system more robust and inclusive,' Gupta said on X. The draft bill lays down parameters to be taken into account by schools while determining fees under Section 8. These include the location of the school, its infrastructure, facilities provided, education standards, expenditure on administration and maintenance, etc. Section 12 introduces stiff penalties for non-compliance of regulations. Schools found violating provisions—such as raising fees without approval—can be fined between ₹1 lakh and ₹10 lakh. The schools found to be charging unauthorised fees must immediately refund the excess amount in 20 days, it says. Repeat offenders could lose government recognition altogether. Further the bill proposes a three-tier fee regulation structure involving committees at the school, district, and state levels, which will institutionalise parental participation in the process. Education minister Ashish Sood termed the draft as 'the most democratic bill' as he said all stakeholders are included to unanimously decide about the fee structure. Jyoti Arora, principal, Mount Abu Public School, Rohini said, 'We sincerely hope the bill reflects the spirit of mutual welfare—for both parents and private unaided schools,' she said. Divya Mattey, whose child studies at DPS, Dwarka, raised concerns over a part of the draft bill that mentions that an 'aggrieved parents group' can file a formal complaint against a school. The group is defined as one that must include at least 15% of the total parents of the affected class or school. 'This needs to be rectified,' said Mattey. Activist Ashok Agrawal said the bill in its present form does not serve the purpose. 'Who will bear the ultimate burden of fines imposed on schools?' Meanwhile, the AAP's Delhi president Saurabh Bharadwaj questioned how the draft bill would regulate already implemented fee hikes by schools this year. He too raised doubts over the 'aggrieved parents group'. He demanded that the audit reports of financial records of all private schools be made public. Sood attacked the AAP, saying that 'those who claimed to be the leaders of the education revolution did not do much during their tenure.'
Time of India
03-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Delhi govt meets parents to discuss new bill on private school fee hikes
New Delhi: Chief minister Rekha Gupta and education minister Ashish Sood met parents of students from several private schools at Delhi Secretariat on Saturday to discuss the recently approved bill aimed at regulating arbitrary fee hikes in private institutions. The meeting came days after the cabinet cleared Delhi School Education (Transparency in Fixation and Regulation of Fees) Bill 2025, which proposes penalties ranging from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 10 lakh for schools that increase fees without approval. The law, once passed by the assembly, will apply to all 1,677 private schools in the city. You Can Also Check: Delhi AQI | Weather in Delhi | Bank Holidays in Delhi | Public Holidays in Delhi During the interaction, Gupta told parents that govt won't tolerate harassment over fees. "If any school harasses a student or parent over fees, they are welcome to report the matter directly to my office or to the education minister," she said. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like The Highest Earning College Majors—2025 Edition Best Paying Degrees | Search Ads Learn More Undo "For 27 years, private schools had been arbitrarily increasing fees without any checks or clear regulations. Previous govts had no concrete legal mechanism to control such practices," CM added. The new bill is a "decisive and historic step" to ensure transparency and fairness in the fee fixation process, she pointed out. Education minister Sood said the bill was a response to several long-standing grievances. "Education will no longer be a tool for exploitation or mental harassment of students," he said, alleging that earlier govts turned a blind eye to repeated complaints from parents. The parents present at the meeting, including those from DPS Dwarka, said they had submitted several petitions earlier but received no response. They called the bill a long-overdue measure to ensure accountability and fairness in fee structures.
Hindustan Times
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Delhi Cabinet clears bill to regulate school fees
The Delhi Cabinet on Tuesday approved the draft of the Delhi School Education (Transparency in Fixation and Regulation of Fees) Bill 2025—a legislation that chief minister Rekha Gupta called a 'bold and historic' attempt to rein in arbitrary fee hikes by private schools. The proposed law, a copy of which was accessed by HT, will be applicable to all 1,677 private unaided schools in Delhi and introduces three major reforms in the city's fee regulation regime. First, it envisages a three-tier fee regulation structure involving committees at the school, district, and state levels, which will institutionalise parental participation in the process. 'Each school will now have a School-Level Fee Regulation Committee comprising parents, giving them direct decision-making power. District- and state-level committees will handle appeals and ensure fairness,' Gupta said. The second major reform introduces stiff penalties for non-compliance. Schools found violating the provisions—such as raising fees without approval—can be fined between ₹1 lakh and ₹10 lakh. Repeat offenders could lose government recognition altogether. 'For too long, private schools raised fees at will. This bill ends that. No one will be allowed to act arbitrarily anymore,' the chief minister said. 'The Director (Education) shall have the power to effect recovery of fine /penalty by one or more of the following modes, namely:- (a) attachment and sale of the movable or immovable-property of the School Management; (b) taking possession of property over which security interest is created or any other property of the school management and appointing receiver for such property and to sell the same; (c) appointing a receiver for the management of the movable or immovable properties of the School Management; (d) any other mode of recovery as may be prescribed by the Government,' Section 15 of the bill read. The third reform spells out the parameters that must be considered while determining fees. These include the school's location, quality of infrastructure, academic performance, and need for funds. The idea is to bring consistency and transparency to what has long been an opaque and disputed area. Section 8 of the bill read: 'The following factors shall be considered while deciding the fee leviable by a school, namely:- (a) the location of the school: (b) the infrastructure made available to the students for the qualitative education, the facilities provided and as mentioned in the prospectus or web-site of the school; (c) the education standard of the school as the Government may prescribe; (d) the expenditure on administration and maintenance as the Government may be prescribed from time to time...' Delhi education minister Ashish Sood said the draft bill prohibits fee hikes without government permission and ensures that all decisions are made in consultation with stakeholders. 'Section 14 of the Act empowers the Director of Education to inspect records, accounts, and documents of any school and take necessary action,' he said. The move comes weeks after widespread protests by parents across Delhi alleging arbitrary and excessive fee hikes by private schools. Following these demonstrations, the Directorate of Education on April 16 launched action against several unaided schools, initiating proceedings for de-recognition and possible government takeover. According to CM Gupta, the new law will provide parents with both clarity and confidence. 'They will no longer have to plead for answers or relief. This law will empower them to make informed choices about their children's education, with fee structures decided well before the academic year begins,' she said. Under the proposed timeline, schools must form their School-Level Committees by July 15. These bodies will submit their fee proposals by July 31, with final decisions to be taken by September 15. If no further suggestions are made, the proposal will move to the district-level committee by September 30. 'Parents will know the fees by October and have time to consider their options,' Gupta said. The chief minister also said that many parents had been 'used for political interests in the past,' but the new system will end that. 'This will put real power in their hands,' she said. Sood, meanwhile, accused the previous Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government of failing to act on the issue. 'While states like Haryana, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and UP passed laws to regulate fees, Delhi's earlier governments—including the AAP—did nothing except hold press conferences. They chose infrastructure optics over actual reforms,' he said. The current draft, he said, draws on laws from other states and Supreme Court directions, tailoring them for Delhi's context. 'The authority to regulate will rest with the government. Schools won't be able to act on their own anymore,' Sood added. The bill will be introduced in a special session of the Delhi assembly. Once passed, it will replace the Delhi School Education Act of 1973, which did not clearly define how private school fees could be regulated. 'That law only required schools to notify fee increases, with no clarity on process, timing, or oversight. This bill fixes that gap,' Gupta said. She also shared data on the government's crackdown over the past two weeks. 'As of April 28, inspections have been carried out in 970 schools. Notices have been issued to over 150 schools for fee-related violations. Forty-two schools were found running dummy classes, and action was taken. We have also resolved more than 300 complaints regarding non-provision of books and uniforms,' she said. An official involved in the drafting said the state-level revision committee, to be constituted by government notification, will have final appellate authority. Its decisions will be binding for three academic years and will override those of the district-level panels. The Aam Aadmi Party, meanwhile, alleged that the bill actually curbs parental rights. 'It makes it impossible for parents to complain unless 15% of them file a joint application. This is a tool to suppress their voices,' said AAP's Delhi president Saurabh Bharadwaj. 'The bill shields private schools and betrays the middle class—within just 65 days of the BJP forming the government.' In response, Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva said previous governments avoided passing a fee law because of their 'nexus with the education mafia.' He said, 'Today, the BJP has fulfilled a longstanding public demand. This bill puts an end to years of exploitation.'
