Delhi govt directs private unaided schools to set up fee regulation committees by July 15
New Delhi, July 2
The Delhi Government on Thursday issued a strict directive to all private unaided schools to set up their School Level Fee Regulation Committees by July 15.
This move follows the enactment of the landmark Delhi School Education (Transparency in Fixation and Regulation of Fees) Act, 2025, which aims to ensure full accountability and absolute transparency in how school fees are determined across the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi.
According to a press release, Delhi Education Minister Ashish Sood emphasised that the state government is firmly committed to making quality education affordable and accessible.
"Education is a noble service to society, not a commercial business. We will not tolerate arbitrary fee hikes or hidden charges that put an unfair financial burden on parents," the minister stated.
"The new framework guarantees that every single rupee charged by schools is accounted for and justified," he added.
To ensure complete transparency, the selection of five parent representatives and three teacher representatives for the committee must happen through a public, video-recorded draw of lots.
Schools are required to give a mandatory seven-day public notice before conducting the draw, and a government-appointed observer will monitor the entire process independently.
To protect public interest and maintain absolute fairness, any school management found trying to influence this democratic draw or bypass the rules will face severe penalties. This includes heavy fines, suspension of school recognition, or a formal government takeover of the school's management, the release said.
School management must submit its three-year fee proposals to the committee by July 31. These proposals must be backed by three years of fully audited financial statements certified by a Chartered Accountant. Unaudited or self-certified files will be rejected immediately.
In compliance with the recent interim orders of the Delhi High Court, schools are strictly ordered to collect the same fees as the previous academic year (2025-26) until their new fee structures are officially vetted and approved by the regulatory committees, the release said.
Any excess fee collected during this interim period will be strictly subject to final judicial outcomes and will have to be refunded or adjusted.
The Directorate of Education (DoE) has instructed all regional directors and district officials to enforce these guidelines strictly.
The government has made it clear that public welfare, equity, and the academic future of Delhi's children remain its topmost priorities.
— ANI
Reader Comments
This is long overdue. Private schools in Delhi have been charging like they're running a five-star hotel. At least now there's some accountability with audited financial statements. But I'm skeptical—how many government observers do they have to monitor hundreds of schools? Hope it's not just another paper tiger. 🐯📄
As a teacher, I'm cautiously optimistic. The three parent reps and three teacher reps on the committee sound fair. But the real test will be July 31 deadline for fee proposals. Schools will try every trick to delay. And what about mid-year fees for things like 'activity charges'? Hope the act covers those too.
Good step but I'm worried about the implementation. Many schools in my area already have 'parent-teacher associations' that are toothless. Will these committees really have power to reject fees? And the 'government takeover' threat sounds dramatic but is it realistic? Let's see if DoE has the backbone to enforce this. 🙏
I appreciate the intent but this feels like an overreach. Schools need flexibility to adjust fees for inflation and new facilities. Micromanaging through video draws and government observers will just create bureaucracy. Instead of fixing fees, why not fix government schools? That would naturally force private schools to be reasonable. Just my two paise. 🤔
This is exactly what we needed! My cousin's school charged ₹50,000 as 'admission fee' last year and when we asked for a breakdown, they said it's non-negotiable. Now with audited financials required, maybe they
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