Fee regulation law to cover Delhi’s 1,700 private schools: Sood

Education Minister Ashish Sood on Wednesday interacted with law students at Law Centre-II, University of Delhi, where he shared insights on the newly enacted Delhi School Education (Transparency in Fixation and Regulation of Fees) Act-2025.

He said under the new law, “All 1,700 private schools will now come under the ambit of fee regulation.” He explained that earlier, only around 300 schools, those allotted land by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), were covered under the Delhi School Education Act (DSEAR), 1973. With this legislation, nearly 18 lakh children studying in 1,700 schools across Delhi will now be safeguarded against arbitrary fee hike.

Sood recalled Delhi University’s historic role in political and social movements, remarking, “Delhi University has always been a hub of social and political change—whether it was the anti-Emergency agitation or the protests over the Bofors scandal. All such movements began on this campus. Carrying that tradition forward, a historic reform in the education sector has now been implemented—a reform that previous governments failed to undertake, thereby allowing unchecked fee hike by private schools.”

The minister highlighted the hardships faced by parents due to sudden and unjustified fee increases, compulsory purchases of uniforms and books, and other charges. He cited cases that even reached the Supreme Court, such as that of DPS Dwarka.

He explained that the new law was drafted after extensive consultations with experts, parents, and other stakeholders, with the aim of ensuring quality education without imposing unbearable financial pressure on families.

“All decisions will be made by consensus, not merely by majority vote,” Sood said, adding that once determined, fee structures will remain valid for three years.

He underlined the law’s key objectives: Transparency in fee determination, empowered participation of parents, and veto power for parents on any proposed hikes. Schools will be required to disclose details about their location, facilities, expenditure, and quality of teaching before seeking any fee revision, he added.

On penalties, Sood specified, “Schools increasing fees without approval or exploiting students and parents can be fined between Rs 50,000 and Rs 2 lakh per student. Moreover, the penalty will double every 20 days of delay in compliance. Schools that refuse to adhere to the committee’s decisions may also face cancellation of their recognition or licence.”

Clarifying the government’s intention, Sood stressed, “The government does not seek to control or undermine private schools, but only to regulate arbitrary fee hikes. The objective is to protect the interests of students and parents, while also ensuring fairness in the education sector.” He added, “Our approach is balanced—we neither wish to create anarchy for schools, nor financial strain for parents.”

The minister also criticised the previous Aam Aadmi Party government, stating that it “boasted of an ‘education revolution’ yet was ultimately exposed for corruption in the education sector.”