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Indian Express
an hour ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Roll back Ordinance on fee hike by private schools in Delhi, hold public consultations, say protesting parents
The Cabinet nod to Delhi School Education (Transparency in Fixation and Regulation of Fees) Ordinance, 2025, without public consultation, was one of the key contentions raised as hundreds of parents gathered at Chhatrasal Stadium in North Delhi on Saturday morning to protest arbitrary fee hikes by private schools in the Capital. Alleging harassment of students by such schools, the parents claimed that they have been subjected to years of unapproved fee hikes. The demonstration, led by the group United Parents' Voice (UPV), was initially planned outside Chief Minister Rekha Gupta's Office at the Delhi Secretariat. However, it was relocated after the Delhi Police denied permission, citing security and traffic concerns. The protest follows the Delhi Cabinet's June 10 decision to approve an Ordinance based on the Delhi School Education (Transparency in Fixation and Regulation of Fees) Bill, 2025. The Bill had earlier received the Cabinet's approval on April 29, soon after parents staged widespread protests against fee hikes. The Bill, however, could not be presented in the Assembly because the Budget session was cut short. While the government officials have stated that the Bill and the Ordinance aim to curb arbitrary fee increases and improve transparency, parents alleged that the legislation was drafted without public consultation and fails to address ongoing issues affecting students and families. After being denied permission on Friday to hold the demonstration at outside the Secretariat by the Delhi Police, which imposed Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023 across the I.P. Estate area, the group moved the protest to Chhatrasal Stadium at 8 am Saturday, where the CM was attending the International Yoga Day celebrations. 'The government is scared of the parents' voice. The system has acknowledged our strength. Now let's show up in even bigger numbers,' said Mahesh Mishra, one of the protesters whose child studies at Delhi Public School, Dwarka. The group's key demands included an immediate pause in the implementation of the Ordinance, a 30-day public consultation period, an end to the alleged harassment of children by private schools, strict action against rule-violating institutions, rollback of unjustified hikes since 2019, and the establishment of a robust, transparent grievance redressal system for parents. 'We urge an immediate halt to the proposed Ordinance and the Bill. These should first be subjected to transparent public consultation as per constitutional and fundamental rights, as parents and citizens are the primary stakeholders in any education-related policy decision,' Mishra added. While carrying placards and raising slogans, the demonstrators demanded action against private schools for alleged coercive practices. UPV claimed that children had been removed from rolls by private schools, denied access to classes, and in some cases, physically blocked at school gates by bouncers over fee-related issues. The group described such incidents as mental harassment and demanded accountability from schools engaging in such practices. Another long-standing concern that echoed at the protest was the issue of unapproved fee hikes going back to 2019. The parents' group said that despite repeated appeals, the government has failed to roll back what they described as arbitrary and unjustified increases. They also highlighted the absence of a functional and time-bound grievance redressal mechanism. DPS Dwarka, Maharaja Agrasen Model School, Pitampura, and Apeejay School, Sheikh Sarai, are some of the schools that have been embroiled in disputes amid the fee hike row.
News18
11-06-2025
- Business
- News18
Delhi Govt Accepts Ordinance To Regulate School Fees, Imposes Strict Penalties
Last Updated: Ashish Sood said that the decision by the Delhi government will play a crucial role in controlling arbitrary fee hikes by 1,677 private schools in Delhi in the future. The Delhi Cabinet on Tuesday approved an ordinance to regulate the fee structure in private schools. This ordinance allows the city government to impose fines of up to Rs 10 lakh on schools and revoke their right to propose fee revisions if they violate norms, reported PTI. During a press conference, Delhi's Education Minister Ashish Sood announced that the cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, approved the ordinance. This decision is based on the proposed Delhi School Education (Transparency in Fixation and Regulation of Fees) Bill, 2025. 'The ordinance will be sent for presidential assent through the Lieutenant Governor. This is a day of happiness for parents whose children study in private schools. It will eventually take the form of a law," Sood said. He mentioned that the decision by the Delhi government will play a crucial role in controlling arbitrary fee hikes by 1,677 private schools in Delhi in the future. The draft ordinance, approved by the cabinet on April 29, imposes strict penalties on schools that arbitrarily increase fees, including the loss of the right to propose fee revisions, the report added. It specifies that if a school charges fees exceeding the allowed norms, it must refund the excess amount within 20 working days. For the first offence, the school will be fined between Rs 1 lakh and Rs 5 lakh. For repeat offences, the penalty will range from Rs 2 lakh to Rs 10 lakh. If the school fails to refund the amount within the stipulated time, the fine will double after 20 days, triple after 40 days, and continue increasing with each 20-day delay. The ordinance also has provisions for penalising repeated violators, the PTI report added. Three committees will be established to oversee the fee regulation process — one at the school level, one at the district level, and a Revision Committee at the highest level. The 'Revision Committee' will be the final authority on disputes or decisions related to school fees. It will be led by the Director of Education and include an eminent educationist, a chartered accountant, the Controller of Accounts, representatives from schools and parents, and a former education official. Its decisions will be binding for three years. The 'District Committee' will be chaired by the District Director of Education, with members including the Deputy Director of Education of the zone, two school principals nominated by the Directorate of Education (DoE), and two parents' representatives also nominated by the DoE. This committee will resolve disputes between school management and the School Level Fee Regulation Committees. Every private unaided school, including those offering Indian and foreign curricula, minority institutions, and those allocated land at concessional rates, must establish a 'School Level Fee Regulation Committee' each academic year by July 15. This committee will be chaired by a school management representative, with the Principal serving as Secretary. Other members will include three teachers, five parents (selected by lot), and one DoE nominee. The committee must include at least one member from the SC/ST/OBC categories and at least two women. Its tenure will last one academic year. Fee-related appeals can first be taken to the District Committee. Any aggrieved party, including parents, school management, or the School Level Committee, can escalate the issue to the Revision Committee, which the government will officially notify. The list of committee members must be displayed within seven working days of formation. The committee must hold a general meeting before August 15 and perform its functions as per the Act. Parents cannot serve on the committee for more than two consecutive years, and a two-year gap is required before being eligible for nomination again. Schools are granted the autonomy to propose fees within a set framework. For the academic year 2025–26, the fees already charged from April 1, 2025, will be treated as the proposed fees. However, any school whose recognition has been suspended, found guilty of violating the Act, or penalised twice in succession under Section 14, will not be allowed to propose any fee hikes. Stay updated with the latest education! Get real-time updates on board exam results 2025, entrance exams such as JEE Mains, Advanced, NEET, and more. Find out top schools, colleges, courses and more. Also Download the News18 App to stay updated! tags : school fee Location : New Delhi, India, India First Published: June 11, 2025, 16:08 IST News education-career Delhi Govt Accepts Ordinance To Regulate School Fees, Imposes Strict Penalties
New Indian Express
11-06-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Delhi cabinet approves ordinance regulating private school fees
NEW DELHI: The cabinet, led by CM Rekha Gupta, has approved an ordinance to regulate fees charged by schools, Education Minister Ashish Sood said on Tuesday. 'The ordinance will be sent for presidential assent through the Lieutenant-Governor. This is a day of happiness for parents whose children study in private schools. It will eventually take the form of a law,' Sood said, adding that the Delhi School Education (Transparency in Fixation and Regulation of Fees) Ordinance, 2025, once enacted, will restrain private schools from arbitrarily increasing fees. The ordinance will come into effect retrospectively from April 1, 2025. As per the ordinance, there are strict penalties for schools involved in hiking fees arbitrarily. If a school is found charging fees that exceed the permitted norms, it must roll back the excess amount and refund it within 20 working days, the ordinance said. The ordinance says if the school fails to refund the amount within the stipulated time, the fine will double after 20 days, triple after 40 days, and continue to increase with every 20-day delay. For a first offence, the school will be fined between Rs 1 lakh and Rs 5 lakh and for repeat offences, the penalty will increase to anywhere between Rs 2 lakh and Rs 10 lakh, according to the ordinance.
Time of India
11-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Ordinance To Check Pvt School Fee Hike
New Delhi: To regulate arbitrary fee hikes by private schools, the Delhi cabinet, led by chief minister Rekha Gupta, gave its approval on Tuesday to Delhi School Education (Transparency in Fixation and Regulation of Fees) Ordinance 2025. It will come into effect retrospectively from April 1. The cabinet also gave its nod to Viksit Delhi Chief Minister Internship Programme and the deployment of 100 interns in Forensic Science Laboratory. According to officials, the schools will have to take permission under the prescribed procedure and rules before increasing the fees. The law will help in cracking down on schools that charge fees arbitrarily or discriminate against students. Parents will also get a clear system to register their complaints and ensure prompt action on them. Once the ordinance gets President's assent, the rules of this law will be prepared. Announcing the development, education minister Ashish Sood said the ordinance would secure the future of children studying in private schools and provide relief to the parents. "It is a major move towards ending the financial exploitation of the parents of private school students once and for all," Sood said. Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Cardiff: If You Were Born Between 1940-1975 You Could Be Eligible For This Life Cover Reassured Get Quote Undo "The ordinance will be sent to lieutenant governor for forwarding it to President... This retrospective provision will especially benefit those parents who were pressured into paying exorbitant and unjustified fees," he added. BJP govt earlier planned to introduce the bill in the assembly during a special session in May, which got cancelled. Since the monsoon session will take place in July, govt decided to enact it through an ordinance. A fine of Rs 50,000 will be imposed on a school by the director of education for each affected student. The administration will also have the power to seal and sell the school property in case of repeated violations and if the fines are not paid. A school-level fee regulation committee, district fee appellate committee and a revision committee will be formed to oversee fee structures and address grievances. The bill mandates the selection of parent and teacher representatives in the committees by draw of lots and decision-making by majority vote within committees. It bars schools from taking coercive action against students for non-payment of fees, such as striking off names from rolls, withholding examination results, denying access to classes or activities, or subjecting students to public humiliation or psychological harassment. It also states that there should be representation of all stakeholders, including parents, teachers and members from scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, backward classes and women, in the school-level fee regulation committees. According to officials, Viksit Delhi Chief Minister Internship Programme will harness the energy and innovative ideas of young interns pursuing graduation and postgraduation in various fields. It aims to tap 150 meritorious students who have studied in India to work in Delhi govt for 89 days. Officials said the interns would have a clear interest, aptitude and commitment to public service and work in synergy with various departments to provide analytical support in the formulation of policies, implementation of projects and various initiatives in development infrastructure, social security, technology sector, etc. The interns will be selected by Delhi University. The cabinet also approved the deployment of 100 interns in FSL for one year on a stipend basis to offer young qualified professionals the opportunity to gain practical experience and learn about the latest techniques and technologies in forensic sciences. CM Gupta said that in the past 100 days, significant decisions were taken in the public interest in every cabinet meeting, inspired by PM Narendra Modi's commitment to making citizens' lives "simpler, more transparent and dignified".
The Hindu
10-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Delhi Cabinet approves ordinance to regulate fee hikes; to be implemented retrospectively from April 1
The Delhi Cabinet on Tuesday approved an ordinance to regulate fee hikes by private schools. Education Minister Ashish Sood, who announced the decision, said the ordinance will be sent to President Droupadi Murmu for approval, following which it will be implemented retrospectively from April 1 this year. 'L-G to take it forward' Addressing a press conference, the Minister said the Delhi School Education (Transparency in Fixation and Regulation of Fees) Ordinance, 2025 had been approved in the eighth Cabinet meeting of the Bharatiya Janata Party government and that the ordinance would be sent to the President through Lieutenant-Governor V.K. Saxena. The announcement comes amid growing outrage among students and parents over 'unauthorised' fee hikes and alleged mistreatment of students by private schools. Mr. Sood said, 'We have paved the way for the [implementation of the] law. From today, the exploitation and extortion [of students and parents] will end. Now, they can confidently plan their family and fees through a fixed process.' In April, the Cabinet had approved a draft of the Bill, which includes stringent penalties against 'coercive actions' by schools, and fines of up to ₹50,000 per student against schools found to be taking punitive action against students over non-payment of increased fees, such as isolating them in libraries, as alleged by parents of some students at Delhi Public School, Dwarka. The Delhi School Education (Transparency in Fixation and Regulation of Fees) Bill, 2025 also mandates the constitution of three regulatory committees at the school, district, and State levels to monitor and approve fee hikes. The draft Bill proposes to impose fines ranging from ₹1 lakh to ₹10 lakh on schools found hiking fees illegally. However, the Bill is yet to be tabled in the Assembly. 'Needs more debate' While some parents welcomed the announcement about the ordinance, others suggested that the law should be introduced as a Bill through the Assembly after discussion with the relevant stakeholders. Aprajita Gautam, president of the Delhi Parents' Association, said, 'We welcome the announcement, but it should be introduced through the Assembly route as a Bill after considering suggestions from parents.' 'Subsequently, a copy of the Bill should be made public because lakhs of parents are impacted by it, and have a right to know about the law,' she added.
