Delhi passes a landmark 2025 law bringing all 1,700 private schools under fee regulation, parents now hold veto power against arbitrary hikes, ensuring transparency and accountability in education.
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NEW DELHI: On Friday, Education Minister Ashish Sood announced the introduction of the Delhi School Education (Transparency in Fixation and Regulation of Fees) Bill, 2025, a landmark law that brings all 1,700 private schools in the city under strict fee regulation.
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For decades, parents in Delhi have raised concerns about arbitrary fee hikes by private schools. Previous rules from 1973 covered only about 300 schools, leaving a loophole that allowed thousands of others to increase fees unchecked. With this new law, that loophole has been closed, ensuring all private schools fall under government oversight.
- Parental Participation: Committees involving parents, teachers, school management, and government representatives will jointly decide on fee structures.
- Veto Power for Parents: Parents will now have a say, and even veto power, when schools propose fee hikes.
- Strict Deadlines:
- School-level committees must decide fee proposals by July 15.
- District-level committees by July 30.
- Final approval must be given by September.
- If no decision is reached within 45 days, the matter goes to an appellate committee.
- Heavy Penalties for Non-Compliance:
- Schools increasing fees without approval will face fines from ₹1 lakh to ₹10 lakh.
- Double penalties apply if excess charges are not refunded.
- Government Enforcement Power: The Director of Education now has powers similar to a sub-divisional magistrate to ensure compliance.
The law was drafted after wide consultations with parents and education experts. Minister Sood emphasized that the goal is to curb the commercialisation of education and protect parents and students from unjustified fee burdens.
He also criticised previous governments, stating that despite claims of an “education revolution,” no transparent system was put in place to control private school fees. Many parents, he noted, were compelled to send their children to private schools due to the poor state of government schools.
For parents, this law means greater transparency, accountability, and fairness in how school fees are determined. For schools, it marks the end of unchecked fee hikes and ushers in a system where financial decisions must be justified and approved.
