DELHI CABINET has cleared a path-breaking bill to regulate exorbitant fee increases in private and aided schools, a critical change in Delhi’s education policy. The draft legislation, called the Delhi School Education Transparency in Fixation and Regulation of Fees Bill, 2025, was cleared this week with a view to regularizing and regulating the way 1,677 private unaided and government-aided schools in the national capital fix and increase school fees.
The new legislation assures a transparent fee regulation mechanism, with defined roles and responsibilities for parents, schools, and the government. This follows universal outcry by parents over unpredictable fee hikes and absence of accountability in schools, which has led to intervention by the DELHI CABINET through a robust legislative mechanism.
Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, addressing a media conference, emphasized the imperative and necessity of the bill, saying, “We had received hundreds of complaints regarding uncontrolled fee increases and even misconduct by school personnel. There was no official procedure to deal with this under the 1973 act, making things tough. The DELHI CABINET has now taken a clear step to put an end to this.”
District Magistrates were sent to visit many schools, and the process was followed by a government-conducted audit. Through these inquiries, a trend of arbitrary and frequently unjustified increases in fees was unearthed. The findings of the audit were the basis for the DELHI CABINET’s decision to introduce a law that would initiate permanent change in the education system of the capital.
Education Minister Ashish Sood highlighted that previous administrative action was inadequate and short-term. “Issuing show-cause notices and holding random checks were mere band-aid solutions. With the new bill, the DELHI CABINET is providing a systematic, long-term solution just within the first 65 days of this administration,” he said.
After it is enacted, the bill will discourage schools from arbitrarily raising their fees. Instead, schools will have to adhere to stringent government-approved procedure and guidelines. These include getting advance approval for any such fee hikes and giving reasons in terms of audited financial statements.
DELHI CABINET’s approval of this bill is also a reaction to recent protests that erupted all over the city owing to reports of undeservedly high fee hikes.
In September 2024, for example, parents of Maharaja Agrasen Model School students in Pitampura protested an 18-20% fee increase every year. They complained that the school was giving School Leaving Certificates to students whose parents did not pay the increased fees. The fee increase had already been rejected by the Department of Education, but it was difficult to enforce without a law.
Similarly, Vanasthali Public School in Mayur Vihar was criticized for doubling the fee. Parents alleged that students were struck off the rolls for non-payment, even after their protests with authorities.
In April 2025, another protest broke out outside DPS Dwarka against steep fee hikes. This resulted in public outrage and commitments from political leaders about taking quick action. The DELHI CABINET legislative action now reflects a tangible answer to such commitments.
DELHI CABINET: Will the new legislation put an end to fee hike protests once and for all and instill confidence in private schooling?
That is the question uppermost in the minds of thousands of parents right across the capital. The new bill is designed to drastically limit the scope for exploitation by schools while giving parents a foolproof grievance redressal mechanism. Transparency, reasonableness, and government supervision are being touted as the bill’s principal support pillars.
The DELHI CABINET also made it clear that the bill does not seek to impede the operations of private schools or their independence but to make sure that schools work within a transparent and equitable financial system. Another regulatory body is likely to be established to keep an eye on fee structures and look into grievances in a timely fashion.
According to provisions of the bill, every increase in fee would need to be proposed by schools with justifications as to why the hike is needed. The proposal would be assessed by an independent committee, and any decision would be binding. There are also penalties for non-compliance in the form of fines and potential disaffiliation from academic boards.
Parents have hailed the decision of DELHI CABINET, hoping that the bill would put an end to years of rampant fee exploitation. “At last, the government is doing something directly beneficial for parents,” stated Anjali Mehra, an East Delhi parent. “We are not opposed to fee increases if they are reasonable, but the way they were being done until now was totally unfair.”
Educators themselves have been equally guarded in their optimism. While some administrators have complained of more bureaucratic meddling, others have concurred that standardized procedures will ultimately be a boon to the industr
The Delhi Cabinet’s passing of the Delhi School Education Transparency in Fixation and Regulation of Fees Bill, 2025, is being celebrated as a turning point in education reform in the capital. With the bill set to be introduced in the legislative assembly in the near future, everyone is waiting with bated breath for the next move to make its successful implementation a reality. If implemented effectively, this law can be a model for other states grappling with the same issues.
As Delhi moves closer to a fair and transparent fee regulation system, the DELHI CABINET has asserted that its focus is on protecting students’ rights and keeping parents safe from financial exploitation under the guise of education.
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