Delhi School Fee Regulation Act: Rs 1 million fine, controversial group – how the government plans to curb arbitrary hikes

The Delhi Cabinet has cleared a draft bill to regulate school fees for private and public schools across the city. Once passed by the convention, the bill will create clear provisions to determine how schools decide on cost structures, prevent arbitrary hiking and incorporate parents into the decision-making process. TOI reports that schools with unauthorized fees raising fees could face fines of up to Rs 1 million and even lose recognition.

Billing a fee regulatory framework

The proposed law, titled Draft of School Education (Fixed and Regulatory Fees Transparency) Bill in Delhi, 2025outlines the formal structure of the management school fee policy. It includes the establishment of a fee supervision committee at the school level, a district fee appeals board and a state-level revision committee to deal with appeals and disputes.
Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said the move was caused by repeated complaints from parents about accidental and unauthorized fees. “Complaints from parents and students about the application for arbitrary fees and the removal of children. School administrators reportedly charged not only any fees, but also harassed students who could not pay, threatened to fire them,” she said.

Parent Representative and Student Protection

The bill recommends that the school-level fee regulations committee must include parents, teachers and members of planned castes, scheduled tribes, backward classes and women. Representatives of parents and teachers will be selected through the lottery and will make a decision by a majority vote.

The bill violates the school’s fees for punishing students without paying. Actions such as removing students from School Lolls, withdrawing test scores, denying classroom access or publicly shaming students are not allowed.

The three-tier appeal system of disputes

To resolve complaints related to fees, a three-level appeal process will be established: first at the school, then at the district, and finally at the state level. This structure is designed to provide clear channels for parents to attract attention. Gupta added that the new draft bill marked the first serious attempt to regulate fees. “1,677 private schools in Delhi will be subject to legal supervision of the cost guidelines,” she said.

Government takes strong action on violations

Education Minister Ashish Sood said the new law will bring responsibility to schools. “If the violation is more serious, compulsory action will be taken, from fines to more serious legal action,” he said. He criticized the previous AAP government, adding: “They have made a law that can provide one bottle for free with another bottle. We have made a law to deliver justice to parents and students. It has been going on for decades and we have put forward a law within 60 days.”

Opposition accuses of bias and restrictions on parents

AAP DELHI President Saurabh Bharadwaj criticized the bill and claimed that the BJP government is working with private school administrators. “This makes it impossible for parents to complain unless they collect 15% of parents; it’s a tool to smash parents’ voices,” he said.

Bharadwaj added that the bill was intended to silence parents and favor private schools. “They replaced the elected PTA members with carefully selected PTA members,” he said, claiming that the BJP was disappointed in the middle class in Delhi only 65 days after taking office.

The bill is expected to be discussed and voted at the monsoon meeting of the Delhi Parliament.