New Delhi, August 3, 2025: The Delhi government is set to table the Delhi School Education (Transparency in Fixation and Regulation of Fees) Bill, 2025 in the Monsoon Session of the Legislative Assembly starting August 4, 2025. This landmark legislation aims to regulate arbitrary fee hikes by private schools and ensure transparency in fee fixation processes.
The bill comes as a direct response to widespread protests by parents against excessive and unregulated fee increases by private schools across the capital. Parents have been demanding government intervention after several high-profile cases, including the DPS Dwarka controversy that required Delhi High Court intervention.
Key Features of the Bill:
The legislation introduces several critical provisions to protect parents from arbitrary fee hikes:
- Mandatory Government Approval: Private schools must obtain prior clearance from the Delhi Education Department before implementing any fee revision
- Financial Audit Powers: Government empowered to conduct comprehensive audits of private school finances to ensure transparency
- Three-Tier Committee Structure: School, district, and state-level committees established with official parental representation in decision-making
- Student Protection: Prohibits punitive actions like expulsion or withholding exam results during fee disputes
Heavy Penalties for Violations:
The bill prescribes strict financial penalties for non-compliance:
- First-time violations: ₹1 lakh to ₹5 lakh fine
- Repeat offences: ₹2 lakh to ₹10 lakh penalty
- Non-refund of excess fees within 20 days results in doubled penalties
- Continued violations may lead to loss of recognition or right to propose future fee revisions
Key Dates and Implementation:
- Bill to be tabled: August 4, 2025 (Monsoon Session)
- Retrospective operation: From April 1, 2025
- Committee formation: Post-bill passage
Additional Provisions:
The legislation ensures parental participation in fee regulation through official representation on oversight committees. Schools will be required to maintain complete transparency in their financial operations, with regular audit reports submitted to the Education Department.
The bill also mandates that any fee hike must be justified with proper documentation and approved through the established committee structure before implementation.
Students are advised to visit the official Delhi Education Department website at edudel.nic.in for verified updates and notifications regarding the fee regulation bill implementation.
