'₹50,000 for violations': Delhi's new bill to control school fees
What's the story
The Delhi government is all set to implement a stringent law to check school fees in the capital.
The proposed legislation, called the Delhi School Education (Transparency in Fixation and Regulation of Fees) Draft Bill, 2025, is likely to be passed in the upcoming monsoon session of the Delhi Assembly in July.
Per TOI, the draft bill prescribes a fine of ₹50,000 per student for schools found guilty of raising their fees without justification.
Penalties
Proposed penalties for fee violations
The Director of Education will be authorized to impose such a penalty.
In the case of repeated violations of the rules by schools or in the case of failure to pay the fines, the government will be empowered to seal and sell school property.
This is aimed at ensuring accountability in school fee structures and checking exploitation.
Guidelines
Fee guidelines to address parental concerns
The proposed bill comes in response to decades-old complaints from parents about arbitrary fee hikes and coercive actions against students who are unable to pay.
"For the first time, the 1,677 private schools in Delhi will be governed by legally regulated fee guidelines," an official was quoted as saying by TOI.
The draft bill also provides for the formation of school-level fee regulation committees within two months of its being passed.
Committee formation
Formation of fee regulation committees
These committees will include the school principal, three teachers, five parents, and representatives from the school management.
The bill also provides for district-level appellate committees and a revision committee at a higher level to deal with disputes and appeals on school fees. The appellate panel will consist of deputy directors of education, a chartered accountant, teachers, and parents.
An eminent person in the education sector will be part of the revision committee.
Student protection
Bill prohibits coercive actions by schools
The draft bill also bars schools from coercive actions for non-payment of fees.
This includes prohibiting striking off names, withholding exam results, denying access to classrooms or extracurriculars, etc.
Public humiliation or psychological pressure on students will also be banned under this legislation.
The Delhi government introduced the new bill in April.