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Key Points

Delhi CM Rekha Gupta announced a landmark bill to regulate fees across all 1,677 schools in the capital. The move addresses long-standing complaints from parents about arbitrary fee hikes and harassment. Gupta emphasized that the bill clearly outlines the responsibilities of schools, parents, and authorities. The government has also warned of strict action against violators, including Queen Mary School in Model Town.

Key Points: Delhi CM Rekha Gupta Passes Bill Regulating Fees for 1,677 Schools

  • Bill covers all aided and private schools in Delhi
  • Defines roles of parents, schools, and government
  • Follows complaints of fee harassment
  • Includes zero-tolerance policy for violations
3 min read

Draft bill passed by cabinet lays out complete fee guidelines for 1,677 Delhi schools: CM Rekha Gupta

Delhi government introduces historic bill to regulate fees in all 1,677 schools, addressing parent complaints on arbitrary hikes and harassment.

"A complete guideline, procedure for fees will be decided for all 1,677 schools in Delhi. - CM Rekha Gupta"

New Delhi, April 29

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Monday said that the state cabinet has passed a draft bill that will set clear guidelines on school fees for all 1,677 schools in the city. The move comes after complaints from parents about alleged harassment and arbitrary fee hikes by some schools.

"I feel overjoyed to tell you that the Delhi Government has made a historic and brave decision, and the draft Bill has been passed by the Cabinet today. A complete guideline, procedure for fees will be decided for all 1,677 schools (aided, non-aided, private) in Delhi, whether that is aided, non-aided, private and all kinds of schools," CM Gupta said.

"For the first time in history such a Bill is being drafted by the Delhi Government which is foolproof. The roles and authority of parents, school, management, directorate and the government is well defined in it," she added.

The Chief Minister also pointed out that earlier governments had not made such provisions to regulate school fees. "There was just Delhi Schools Act 1973 in which there was one section on fee in which there was no guideline so that the fee hike in private schools could be checked," she said.

On April 15, the CM had warned of strict action against schools found violating regulations. "Parents from various schools have been meeting me, sharing their grievances. No school has the authority to harass parents or children, threaten expulsion, or arbitrarily hike fees. There are strict rules and laws in place, and compliance is mandatory," she had said, speaking to ANI.

"We have issued notices to all schools against which complaints have been received," she added.

During a recent public dialogue programme, CM Gupta also responded to complaints against Queen Mary School in Model Town. Parents had alleged that the school collected extra fees and expelled children.

"Today, during the public dialogue programme, a case related to Queen Mary School, Model Town came up, in which parents of children lodged a complaint regarding wrong collection of fees and expulsion of children from the school. Taking immediate cognizance of this matter, the concerned officials have been instructed to conduct an immediate investigation and take strict and necessary action," she wrote on X.

She added, "The Delhi Government is fully committed to transparency, equal opportunity and the protection of children's rights in the field of education. A zero-tolerance policy has been adopted towards any kind of injustice, exploitation or irregularity, no laxity will be tolerated in this. Our resolve is clear, every child should have access to justice, respect and quality education."

- ANI

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S.
Finally! This is such a relief for parents like me who've been struggling with random fee hikes every year. My son's school increased fees by 15% last year with no explanation. Hope this brings some accountability 🙏
R
Rahul K.
About time someone took action against these schools! My niece was almost expelled because we couldn't pay the "development fee" that appeared out of nowhere. Kudos to CM Gupta for standing up for parents 💪
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Anjali M.
While I appreciate the intent, I hope they've considered how this will impact school budgets. Some private schools genuinely need fee increases to maintain quality infrastructure and pay teachers well. There should be a balanced approach.
S
Sanjay P.
My daughter goes to Queen Mary School mentioned in the article. We've been fighting this battle for months! So glad the government is finally stepping in. The stress this has caused our family is unbelievable 😤
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Neha T.
This is a great initiative but implementation will be key. Hope they set up a proper grievance system where parents can report violations easily. The education department needs to be proactive in enforcement too!
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Vikram J.
As a teacher at a private school, I hope this doesn't lead to salary cuts for staff. Many schools use fee hikes as an excuse but don't actually improve teacher pay. Maybe this bill should address that aspect too?

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