Delhi Cabinet approves draft bill to regulate fees in 1,677 private, government schools

The Delhi Cabinet has approved the draft bill to regulate fees in private and government schools in the national capital, said chief minister Rekha Gupta on Tuesday. The bill will apply to all 1,677 private unaided and government-aided schools in the city.

The recent action by the Directorate of Education (DoE) follows a wave of protests by parents from across Delhi, who gathered outside the department’s office demanding a rollback of steep fee hikes in private schools. Responding to the public outcry, the DoE announced on April 16 that it had begun taking steps against unaided private schools accused of unlawfully raising fees — measures that could include stripping schools of recognition and even taking over their management.

CM Rekha Gupta said that the action has been taken as there was “panic” among parents and alleged “harassment” of students in the name of fee hike, PTI reported.

‘No clear mechanism’

In a press conference on Tuesday, Rekha Gupta said that the Delhi government had received numerous complaints from parents regarding misconduct in schools and arbitrary fee hikes. In response, District Magistrates (DMs) were dispatched to inspect the schools, followed by a formal audit.

“We realised there was no clear mechanism to monitor how schools were increasing fees,” multiple reports quoted Rekha Gupta as saying.

Delhi school fee hike protests

On April 8, a group of parents staged a protest outside a private school in Dwarka, opposing a recent fee hike imposed by the administration.

The parents claimed that, since March 20, their children had been subjected to what they described as “library arrest” — being confined to the library — as a means to pressure families into paying the increased fees. One parent alleged that the school was violating their child's right to education and disregarding directives issued by both the district magistrate and the police.

'Annual fees hiked by 18-20%'

According to a India Today report, in September 2024, parents of students at Maharaja Agrasen Model School in Pitampura protested against annual fee hikes of 18–20%. They alleged that the school issued School Leaving Certificates to students whose families refused to pay the increased fees, even though the Department of Education had rejected the proposed hike.

In a similar case, Vanasthali Public School in Mayur Vihar came under fire for implementing a 100% fee increase. Parents claimed that students were struck off the rolls for non-payment, sparking widespread outrage, states a report by India Today.