Delhi Cabinet Approves Landmark Bill to Regulate Private School Fees

New Delhi, April 30: In a major move aimed at addressing parents’ long-standing concerns, the Delhi Cabinet on Tuesday approved the draft Delhi School Education (Transparency in Fixation and Regulation of Fees) Bill, 2025. The proposed law aims to regulate fee structures in 1,677 aided and unaided private schools, regulating hikes and ensuring transparency.

The draft Bill, cleared under the leadership of Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, mandates that no school in Delhi will be allowed to increase its fees without prior clearance from government-authorised committees. “This law will empower parents and end years of exploitation through unregulated fee hikes,” CM Gupta stated during a press briefing.

The decision comes after months of protests by parents across the city against sudden and steep fee increases. Highlighting the urgency, the Chief Minister said that many schools were allegedly pressuring students over unpaid fees, prompting the government to act swiftly.

To ensure fairness and participation, the Bill proposes a three-tier committee system:

• A school-level committee, including the principal, three teachers, and five randomly selected parents (including women and reserved category representation), to review proposed hikes.

• A district-level committee to address appeals against the school-level decisions.

• A state-level committee, serving as the final authority, whose decision will be binding for three academic years.

According to Education Minister Ashish Sood, the school-level committees will be established by July 31 and must submit their decisions within 30 days. If no consensus is reached, the matter will automatically escalate to higher committees. Additionally, if at least 15% of parents oppose an approved fee hike, they can file a formal appeal.

The Bill outlines that fee regulation will factor in elements like school location, infrastructure, quality of education, teacher salaries, and charity contributions. Schools found violating the guidelines can face penalties up to Rs 10 lakh, while any coercive action against students could lead to fines of Rs 50,000 per student, doubled if unpaid within 20 days.

The CM’s office revealed that inspections had already been conducted in 970 schools, with over 150 schools receiving notices for fee-related complaints.

Calling the Bill a “lifeline for parents,” CM Gupta said, “This law ensures that no parent will be forced to suffer in silence anymore. They now have the power to question, participate, and decide.”

With this move, Delhi joins the list of states like Haryana and Maharashtra that have enforced laws for private school fee regulation. The Bill is expected to be tabled in the Delhi Legislative Assembly soon.