The Delhi Cabinet has approved a new law on Wednesday aimed at regulating the fees charged by private schools, following complaints from parents about unexpected and unfair fee hikes. Chief Minister Rekha Gupta shared the news on Wednesday and said, "I’m very happy to announce that the Delhi government has taken a bold and historic step. The Cabinet has passed a draft of the new Bill today.”

The new law, named the Delhi School Education Transparency in Fixation and Regulation of Fees 2025 Bill, will establish clear guidelines on how schools in Delhi, whether private,government-aided, or unaided can set and raise their fees.She added that for the first time ever, the government is making such a detailed law to protect parents and ensure fair practices in all 1,677 schools across the city.

Education Minister Ashish Sood, speaking at a press conference, shared that the Delhi government will set up three committees to enforce the new fee regulation rules. These committees will determine the fees for the next three years, considering each school’s infrastructure.

The decision-making process will also involve teachers and parents, Mr. Sood added. For years, parents in Delhi have complained about "unfair and high" fee increases by private schools, especially unaided ones. They’ve reported instances where schools have withheld admit cards for board exams or threatened to remove students from enrollment due to unpaid, what they call, unauthorized fees. Parents also claim that delayed fee payments lead to mental stress for students.

The controversy over private school fee hikes in Delhi took a political turn when Atishi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Delhi Assembly, challenged Chief Minister Rekha Gupta to take immediate action and stop the fee hikes in all private schools.

On April 15, Gupta announced that the government had issued notices to schools for "arbitrary fee hikes" and assured that the government was committed to ensuring transparency and protecting the right to education. The following day, the Delhi government launched inspections of 600 private schools after receiving complaints about unregulated fee increases. To address these concerns, the Directorate of Education (DoE) formed district-level committees, led by sub-divisional magistrates and including education officials, accounts officers, and government school principals.

Meanwhile, the Delhi High Court intervened in a case involving Delhi Public School in Dwarka, criticizing the school for treating students with "indignity" over a fee dispute. The school had confined students to a library, denying them access to classes and interactions with their peers. Justice Sachin Datta expressed strong disapproval, suggesting that the school, which was treating students like "chattel," should be shut down.

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