Delhi Cabinet Approves Bill to Regulate School Fees Amid Rising Protests

In a significant move to address growing discontent among parents, the Delhi Cabinet has approved a draft bill aimed at regulating fees in both private unaided and government-aided schools across the capital. Chief Minister Rekha Gupta announced the decision on Tuesday, stating that the bill will apply to all 1,677 such schools operating in the city.

The move follows widespread protests by parents demanding action against steep and arbitrary fee hikes in private schools. On April 16, the Directorate of Education (DoE) responded by launching a crackdown on unaided private schools accused of violating fee regulations. The department warned that penalties could include derecognition or even direct government takeover of school management.

“Parents were panicking, and there were reports of students facing undue pressure and harassment over fee payments,” Chief Minister Gupta said at a press conference. She noted that the government had received a surge in complaints about arbitrary fee increases and misconduct by school administrations.
To investigate the matter, District Magistrates were deployed for inspections and formal audits of school accounts. “We found there was no existing mechanism to monitor how and when schools decide to increase their fees,” Gupta added.

The protests gained momentum earlier this month, with parents staging demonstrations across Delhi. On April 8, a group of parents assembled outside a private school in Dwarka, opposing a fee hike that they claimed led to their children being confined to the library as coercion — an incident they described as a violation of the right to education.

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In another case, parents of students at Maharaja Agrasen Model School in Pitampura protested against an 18–20% hike in annual fees in September 2024. They alleged that students were issued School Leaving Certificates when families refused to comply with the revised fee structure, despite the DoE rejecting the hike.
Similarly, Vanasthali Public School in Mayur Vihar faced criticism for allegedly doubling its fees. Parents accused the school of striking students off the rolls for non-payment, triggering further outrage.

The new draft bill, once passed, is expected to bring transparency and accountability to the fee-setting process in Delhi schools, offering much-needed relief to thousands of families.