In a historic move aimed at curbing arbitrary fee hikes by private schools, the Delhi cabinet on Wednesday approved the Delhi School Education Transparency in Fixation and Regulation of Fees 2025 Bill.
Chaired by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, the cabinet passed the draft legislation to bring accountability and transparency to the fee structures of 1,677 schools across the national capital whether aided, unaided, or private.
Chief Minister Rekha Gupta hailed the move as a “bold and historic step,” noting that no previous government had attempted such legislation to address the long-standing grievances of Delhi’s parents.
“This is the first time such a bill is being drafted. Arbitrary fee hikes and student harassment in the name of fees had created panic among parents,” she stated during a press briefing.
The newly proposed Bill will standardize fee fixation by setting comprehensive guidelines for all schools and aims to prevent coercive tactics employed by institutions.
Education Minister Ashish Sood added that the bill mandates the formation of three dedicated committees to fix school fees for a three-year period. These committees will consider infrastructure and resource factors, and importantly, include participation from stakeholders.
“Three teachers and five parents will be involved in the decision-making process, selected through a transparent draw,” said Sood.
He also announced the establishment of 10-member district-level committees that will include two women and one member from either the Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe category.
The bill comes in response to an overwhelming number of complaints from parents about unregulated fee hikes, mental harassment of students over late payments, and unethical practices such as withholding admit cards for board examinations.
The Delhi government recently inspected 600 private schools after issuing notices regarding suspected profiteering. Several institutions were found violating Sections 17(3) and 180(3) of the Delhi School Education Act and Rules (DSEAR), 1973, by failing to submit required financial records.
The issue gained momentum after an incident at Delhi Public School, Dwarka, where students were confined to the library over a fee dispute.
The Delhi High Court, led by Justice Sachin Datta, slammed the school for treating students like “chattel” and said such behavior warranted closure of the institution.
With this bill, the Delhi government has taken a firm stance to protect the rights of students and ensure education remains a right, not a luxury.
