Delhi govt tables bill to regulate fee hikes by private schools in Assembly

Education Minister Ashish Sood on Monday tabled a bill to regulate fee hikes by private schools in Delhi on the first day of the Monsoon session of the Assembly, claiming "threats" were issued to stop it in its tracks.

Ahead of the introduction of the Delhi School Education Transparency in Fixation and Regulation of Fees Bill, 2025, in the Assembly, Sood said a hike in fees by private schools was the "biggest legacy" issue that the Rekha Gupta government is going to solve.

Every year, parents of schoolchildren were affected by the hike in private school fees, he said. Efforts were made to "scare us from tabling the bill in the Assembly by the education mafia and those having nexus with it."


He said allegations were levelled against him as well as the chief minister to stop the bill. "We decided to bring this bill despite the pressure and threat to stop it."

Sood also slammed the previous AAP government in Delhi, accusing it of "underhanded dealing" with private schools that hiked fees without any fear.

The bill was prepared with a top-to-bottom approach, inspired by the concept of "government by the people for the people," he said.

"This bill, after becoming law, will enhance transparency and stop malpractice through a strong regulatory mechanism involving Committees at three levels and provisions of penalties and termination of recognition of schools on violations of its provisions," he said.

The bill lays down that recognised, private, and unaided schools found arbitrarily increasing fees will face a fine ranging from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 3 lakh on the first violation. It could be as high as Rs 10 lakh on repeated violations.

It proposes the formation of three committees - at the school, district, and state level - to decide on fee hikes. The decisions on the fee hike will be binding for three years.

Each private unaided school, including those offering Indian and foreign curricula, minority-run schools, and institutions on concessional land, will be required to form a School Level Fee Regulation Committee by July 15 every academic year.

Leader of Opposition Atishi demanded that the bill be sent to a 'Select Committee' before it is considered in the House. She also demanded that fees be frozen at the 2024-25 level so that no fresh hike would be implemented by the schools.