The Delhi Assembly passed the Delhi School Education Transparency in Fixation and Regulation of Fees Bill, 2025, a groundbreaking measure to regulate private school fees and empower parents. Chief Minister Rekha Gupta hailed the bill as a transformative step, declaring that Delhi’s schools must function as “temples of education, not commercial establishments.” The legislation, passed by a majority vote, aims to curb arbitrary fee hikes, restore public trust, and establish accountability in the education system.
Gupta emphasized that the bill safeguards the rights of millions of parents, particularly the middle class, who sacrifice personal aspirations for their children’s future. “Education cannot be a profiteering tool,” she asserted, criticizing the previous Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government for “hollow slogans” and systemic failures, including incomplete school buildings, stalled teacher recruitments, and unchecked fee increases by 1,677 unaided private schools. She accused the AAP of complicity in corruption, noting that courts are now questioning their “classroom scam” while the former regime offers only “silence and pretence.”
The bill introduces robust mechanisms to ensure transparency. It grants parents veto power over fee hike proposals, with Delhi Education Minister Ashish Sood stating, “If even one parent disagrees, the fee hike will not be approved.” Schools exceeding permitted fee limits must refund excess amounts within 20 working days, with escalating penalties for non-compliance: fines double after 20 days, triple after 40 days, and increase every 20 days thereafter. First-time violations incur fines of Rs 1 lakh to Rs 5 lakh, while repeat offenses face Rs 2 lakh to Rs 10 lakh, with persistent violators potentially barred from school management roles.
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To oversee compliance, the bill mandates three committees: a School-Level Fee Regulation Committee, a District Committee, and a Revision Committee. The school-level committee, formed by July 15 each academic year, will include a management representative as chair, the principal as secretary, three teachers, five parents (selected by lot), a Directorate of Education (DoE) nominee, at least one SC/ST/OBC member, and two women.
The District Committee, chaired by the District Director of Education, includes the zone’s Deputy Director, two principals, and two parent representatives. The Revision Committee, led by the Director of Education, comprises an educationist, a chartered accountant, the Controller of Accounts, school and parent representatives, and a former education official, with its decisions binding for three years.
The bill applies to all private unaided schools, including those following Indian or foreign curricula and minority-run institutions. Schools must display committee member lists within seven days of formation and hold a general meeting by by August 15. Parents cannot serve on committees for more than two consecutive years, with a two-year gap before renomination. For 2025-26, fees charged since April 1, 2025, are considered proposed fees. Appeals start at the District Committee, with unresolved cases escalating to the Revision Committee for final, binding decisions.
Gupta rejected AAP’s claims that the bill favors certain school owners, challenging their 27-year inaction on fee regulation. “This bill is a response to public outrage and a document of accountability,” she said, noting that parents met her at the Assembly to celebrate the end of their “52-year vanvaas” under corrupt regimes. The legislation, requiring at least 15% parental support for complaints to prevent misuse, aims to shift the education system’s focus from balance sheets to children’s futures, delivering a “strong blow to corruption” and a warning to profit-driven schools: “Serve, or face punishment.”
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