Latest news with #inFixationandRegulationofFees
Time of India
6 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Monsoon session: 3 bills passed in 20 hours of deliberation at assembly
New Delhi: Day after Delhi Assembly's monsoon session concluded, speaker Vijender Gupta on Saturday said deliberations were held for nearly 20 hours, with three legislations getting passed and several issues affecting the public being taken up for discussion. The session commenced on Aug 4 and was adjourned sine die on Aug 8 after five sittings. "Of 171 'Special Mention' notices received under Rule 280, 62 matters were raised. These matters covered a wide range of civic, administrative and policy concerns, which were referred to the departments concerned with directions to furnish replies within 30 days," the speaker said. You Can Also Check: Delhi AQI | Weather in Delhi | Bank Holidays in Delhi | Public Holidays in Delhi Three significant legislations passed during the session included the Delhi School Education (Transparency in Fixation and Regulation of Fees) Bill, 2025, Delhi Goods and Services Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2025, and Delhi Goods and Services Tax (Second Amendment) Bill, 2025. Gupta said 24 legislators participated in the discussion on the fee regulation bill before it was passed by voice vote. The house also discussed Operation Sindoor and Operation Mahadev. It passed a congratulatory motion to honour astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla for his mission to the International Space Station and to mark the launch of the NISAR satellite on July 28. Gupta said the purported "Faansi Ghar", which was inaugurated in 2022, was also discussed in the house and it was converted into "tiffin kaksh (room)". by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Free P2,000 GCash eGift UnionBank Credit Card Apply Now Undo Several documents, including four CAG reports apart from annual reports of the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission, Geospatial Delhi Ltd., Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University and Dr B.R. Ambedkar University Delhi, were also tabled in the house. The second report of the Business Advisory Committee and the first report of the Rules Committee were also adopted. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Raksha Bandhan wishes , messages and quotes !
NDTV
05-08-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
Delhi Education Minister Tables Bill To Regulate Private School Fees
New Delhi: Delhi Education Minister Ashish Sood lashed out at the previous Aam Aadmi Party government, saying that parents were going to court with their children over fees. Earlier on Monday, Ashish Sood tabled the "Delhi School Education (Transparency in Fixation and Regulation of Fees), Bill, 2025" in the Delhi Assembly, stating that the legislation seeks to end the commercialisation of education and take action against those exploiting it for profit. Ashish Sood told reporters, "... For ten years, Aam Aadmi Party was sitting in its air-conditioned rooms, and parents were going to court with their children for fees. We have entered the parents in the process of determining fees... It is mandatory to have the principal or head of the school, or one person from the management, three teachers, and five parents, including SC/ST, OBC, and women, who will together look at 18 parameters, records of the school, and decide whether the school needs money or not. Everyone will have to be unanimous about the uniformity; only then can the fees be increased for three years..." The proposed law aims to regulate the arbitrary fee hikes by private schools in the national capital, providing relief to lakhs of students and their families. "Education is not a thing to be sold. This bill aims to halt the commercialisation of education. We are bringing the bill to take action against those mafias who are selling education..." Sood said while tabling the bill. The Bill was tabled on the first day of the Monsoon session of the Eighth Legislative Assembly, which commenced on Monday and will continue until August 8. However, the session may be extended depending on the exigencies of legislative business. In a separate statement, the Delhi Education Minister said, "Today, I have come here with a permanent solution to the problems faced by millions of parents and children in Delhi, and to a legacy issue that has been ignored for decades." Sood stated that education is "a sacred duty -- a duty we must fulfil for the progress and prosperity of our motherland." He emphasised that the aim of education should not be 'earning', but rather 'learning' and nation-building. "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," he said. Giving historical references, he discussed how the central government has resolved long-standing legacy issues over the decades, such as the Ram Mandir, Chenab Bridge, Article 370, and the electrification of every village. He stated that the Delhi government is now also "focused on resolving the capital's old and complex issues, one of the most important legacy issues being the continuously rising fees of private schools." "This is not a recent problem, but a question that has troubled Delhi's parents for many decades," he clarified.
Economic Times
05-08-2025
- Politics
- Economic Times
Student leaves Bluebells School after not paying fee for four years, now court orders parents to pay Rs 1.2 lakh with interest
Synopsis A Delhi court has ordered a parent to pay ₹1.2 lakh in pending school fees, even as the state government tables a bill to regulate private school fee hikes. The Delhi School Education (Transparency in Fixation and Regulation of Fees) Bill, 2025 aims to curb arbitrary increases and involve parents in decision-making. Critics, including AAP and parent bodies, say the bill fails to protect families and gives more power to school managements. The legislation has stirred sharp debate both inside and outside the Assembly. Agencies high nursersy school fee A civil court in Delhi has directed a father to clear outstanding school fees amounting to over ₹1.2 lakh, with 10 percent interest. The student had attended Bluebells School International in south Delhi. Civil Judge Yashu Khurana said the suit filed by the school went unchallenged, as the parent, Virender Rana, did not appear to contest it. 'The case of the school stands duly proved by virtue of unchallenged suit and the documents placed on record,' said Advocate Atul Jain, appearing for the school told the court that the father had failed to pay fees across four academic years: 2017-18, 2018-19, 2019-20 and 2020-21. The student eventually left the school in 2022 while in Class VII. In its plea, the school submitted that Rana 'under the shield of the directorate of education order dated Aug 1, 2018, regarding the fee structure of the school for the year 2017-18 and in the guise of the fact that the issue regarding the same was sub judice before Delhi High Court, long delayed the payment of the dues.'The school also argued that it relied entirely on parental fees to function. The judge observed, 'Perusal of the record shows that the present suit was filed on Oct 16, 2024, whereas the cause of action last arose upon the plaintiff on Feb 7, 2024, when the defendant made the last payment against the outstanding amount.'On the same day that this ruling gained attention, Delhi Education Minister Ashish Sood presented a new bill in the Assembly aimed at regulating private school fees. The Delhi School Education (Transparency in Fixation and Regulation of Fees) Bill, 2025, introduced during the Monsoon Session, promises to bring more oversight to how private unaided schools set and raise their fees.'Education is not a thing to be sold. This bill aims to halt the commercialisation of education. We are bringing the bill to take action against those mafias who are selling education,' said draft legislation, which had received Cabinet approval in April, covers all 1,677 private unaided schools in the proposes structural changes, including a grievance redressal system, caps on fee increases, parent representation in decisions, and penalties of up to ₹10 lakh for violations. Sood called it a 'permanent solution to a long-ignored issue that affects millions of parents and children in Delhi.'He also added, '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.'The new bill introduces a three-tier regulatory framework meant to vet fee hike proposals and resolve private school must form a committee by 15 July each year. It will include five randomly selected parents from the Parent-Teacher Association, with at least two women and one member from SC, ST or other backward communities. A representative from the Directorate of Education (DoE) will also be on the panel, which is chaired by a school management must submit their fee proposal to this committee by 31 July. If approved by 15 September, that fee structure stays fixed for the next three academic if at least 15 percent of the school's parents disagree, they can escalate the matter to the district-level appellate committee by 30 committee will examine disputes and must deliver a decision within 45 days. If the conflict is unresolved, the final appeal lies with the Revision highest-tier body will give binding rulings that will remain valid for three years. According to Section 8 of the bill, criteria for setting fees will include the school's location, infrastructure, staff salaries and revenue 12 sets the penalties. An unauthorised fee hike could attract a fine between ₹1 lakh and ₹10 lakh, doubling every 20 days until compliance. Persistent offenders may be forced to refund overcharged fees and could lose school Delhi government argues that the bill will increase transparency and curb profiteering. It mandates schools to submit audited financials and infrastructure costs before proposing any fee hike. It also allows the Director of Education to order fee rollbacks and refunds if the hike is deemed many parents and political opponents remain of Opposition Atishi has strongly criticised the bill. 'After letting private schools hike fees unchecked for four months, the BJP now brings a sham bill that hands control to school owners, blocks parent voices, and protects profiteers,' she Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has demanded that the bill be referred to a Select Committee and that all fee hikes for the 2024–25 academic year be frozen. Atishi also pointed out that introducing the bill after the academic session had already started allowed schools time to raise fees without parents' groups have raised questions about the bill's design. The biggest concern revolves around the 15 percent threshold required to challenge a school's fee decision. Critics argue that this is an unrealistically high bar and effectively prevents parents from raising objections.'Requiring a minimum of 15 percent of a school's parents to challenge the school-level Fee Regulatory Committee's decision before the district committee is nearly impossible. It effectively denies parents the right to contest arbitrary fee hikes,' said Ashok Agarwal, chairperson of the All India Parents Association, speaking to The worry about the selection process for the parent members on the committee. Some feel it opens the door to tokenism and weakens true bill does attempt to set clear limits: Schools can raise fees only once per academic year with prior approval They must disclose financial and operational data A three-stage complaints system is now in place Penalties are defined and severe for unauthorised hikes But gaps remain. There are no provisions to freeze current hikes, no retrospective control over hikes already enforced this year, and no strong deterrent against non-tuition charges. The school-led committees may also lack the independence needed for fair the bill does not provide safeguards for students who may face expulsion due to fee Delhi School Education (Transparency in Fixation and Regulation of Fees) Bill, 2025 is a long-awaited intervention in a space that has seen little regulation. It proposes systems where there were none. It talks about participation where decisions were once the big question is whether it does enough. For many parents, the answer may depend not just on the text of the law, but on how it plays out in classrooms, fee counters and committee court's ruling against Virender Rana is a timely reminder of the pressure many families face. The challenge for lawmakers now is to ensure that regulation means real relief, not just another layer of red tape.
Indian Express
15-06-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
DPS Dwarka fee row continues, parents protest at Jantar Mantar & raise 5 demands
'Our children are being punished for the system's failure,' said a parent as hundreds gathered at Jantar Mantar in Delhi on Saturday in protest, amid a row over the fee hike by the Delhi Public School (DPS) Dwarka and alleged discrimination against students whose parents refused to comply. Even as the Delhi High Court in May had ordered reinstatement of 102 students, directing submission of a 50% hiked fee, demonstrators on Saturday alleged that the school had not complied. However, sources in DPS Dwarka said that the students will be reinstated as per the court's order once the hiked fee is paid. 'Parents have been asked to clear dues as per the order,' an official said. But parents have alleged that the school continues to harass them. 'They are not complying with the complete court order, and not refunding the extra amount charged… they are asking more than what the High Court order allowed,' said a parent. Carrying placards and banners, the demonstrators laid out five key demands as the conflict continues: immediate reinstatement of all 32 affected students at DPS Dwarka without conditions; strict enforcement of DoE (Directorate of Education) and court directives; criminal proceedings against school management and security personnel for alleged child harassment; a time-bound review of the school's pending fee proposals or suspension of the responsible DoE officials; and audit reforms, including cancellation of licenses of any chartered accountants found complicit in financial irregularities. Highlighting the emotional and academic distress families have faced, protest groups from over 20 other private schools in the city joined in solidarity, warning that unchecked fee hikes and unfair practices at one institution could set a dangerous precedent across the city. In a statement on Saturday, the group of parents said that they have issued an appeal to the Supreme Court, the Delhi High Court, the GNCTD Directorate of Education, and the Delhi government to ensure that private schools operate within the law and that no child is denied access to education or subjected to harassment over fee disputes. The fee hike dispute in the Capital's schools has been a long-standing issue. Amid widespread demonstrations in the city, the Cabinet on June 10 approved the 'Delhi School Education (Transparency in Fixation and Regulation of Fees) Ordinance, 2025'. Under this, private schools must obtain approval before any fee increase, establish three independent panels at the state, district, and school levels to review proposals, and require automatic refunds of any excess fees already collected. This came in the backdrop of the DoE rejecting DPS Dwarka's proposed fee hike for the 2023–24 academic year and directing the school to refund any excess fees collected last May. Parents have alleged that, despite this order, the school again raised fees for the 2024–25 and 2025–26 sessions. DPS Dwarka, for its part, has maintained that it issued show-cause notices to parents as early as December, and that over Rs 1 lakh remained outstanding from around 130 students, resulting in a loss of over Rs 6 crore when some students completed Class XII, an official had earlier told The Indian Express. The school had also previously rejected the parents' claims as 'false and frivolous.' In response, parents of 102 students from the school approached the Delhi High Court, challenging both the unauthorised fee increases and the expulsions that followed. On May 16, the High Court orally indicated its inclination to stay the school's decision to expel 32 students for non-payment of unapproved fees, observing that DPS Dwarka had not followed Rule 35(4) of the Delhi School Education Rules, 1973, which requires prior notice and an opportunity to show cause. Further clarity came on May 30, when Justice Vikas Mahajan ordered DPS Dwarka to allow 102 affected students to continue attending classes provided their parents paid 50% of the increased portion of their 2024–25 fees, while still settling the regular fee in full. The court affirmed that under Section 17(3) of the Delhi School Education Act, the DoE holds the power to curb arbitrary or profiteering fee hikes. The next hearing is scheduled for August 28. On June 5, the HC – while slamming the school for deploying bouncers to stop students from attending classes – made it clear that if a school seeks to act under Rule 35 of the Delhi School Education Rules, 1973, it must first issue prior communication to the affected students or their guardians, specifying the date on which the action is proposed. The school must also provide a reasonable opportunity to show cause against such action, the order stated. Beyond the fee issue, on Saturday, parents pointed to an April DoE inspection report that documented alleged discriminatory practices at the school. According to the report, some students were confined to the library, barred from classrooms and the canteen, subjected to constant staff surveillance even during restroom visits, and in certain cases physically prevented from entering the premises by hired bouncers. Demonstrators described these measures as inhumane and a serious violation of child rights.
Time of India
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Delhi school fee regulation bill: Rs 10 lakh fine, dispute panels — how govt plans to curb arbitrary hikes
Bill to establish fee regulation framework Parent representation and student protection Live Events Three-tier appeal system for disputes Govt to take strong action on violations Opposition alleges bias and restrictions on parents (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel The Delhi cabinet has cleared a draft bill to regulate school fees in private and government schools across the city. Once passed by the Assembly, the bill will set clear rules for how schools decide fee structures, prevent arbitrary hikes, and include parents in the decision-making process. Schools that raise fees without approval could face fines up to ₹10 lakh and even lose recognition, according to the draft, a TOI report proposed law, titled Delhi School Education (Transparency in Fixation and Regulation of Fees) Bill Draft, 2025, outlines a formal structure to manage school fee policies. It includes the creation of fee regulation committees at the school level, district fee appellate committees, and a state-level revision committee to handle appeals and Minister Rekha Gupta said the move was prompted by repeated complaints from parents about unexpected and unauthorised fee increases. "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," she bill proposes that school-level fee regulation committees must include parents, teachers, and members from Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, backward classes, and women. Representatives of parents and teachers will be selected by draw of lots, and decisions will be made through majority bill bars schools from punishing students for fee non-payment. Actions such as removing students from school rolls, holding back exam results, denying class access, or publicly humiliating students will not be address fee-related grievances, a three-level appeals process will be set up: first at the school, then district, and finally at the state level. This structure is designed to give parents a clear channel to raise added that the new draft bill marks the first serious attempt to regulate fee hikes. "For the first time, the 1,677 private schools in Delhi will be governed by legally regulated fee guidelines," she Minister Ashish Sood said the new law will bring accountability to schools. "Coercive action will be taken, ranging from fines to more serious legal action if the violations are more severe," he said. Criticising the previous AAP government, he added, "They made a law to give a bottle free with another bottle. We made a law to give justice to the parents and students. It has been going on for decades, and we brought a law within 60 days."AAP Delhi president Saurabh Bharadwaj criticised the bill and alleged that the BJP government was working with private school managements. "It makes it impossible for parents to complain unless they gather 15% of parents; this is a tool to crush parents' voices," he added that the bill aims to silence parents and favour private schools. "They've replaced elected PTA members with handpicked ones," he said. He claimed the BJP had let down Delhi's middle class within just 65 days of taking bill is expected to be tabled for discussion and voting in the monsoon session of the Delhi Assembly.
