Delhi govt cracks down on private school fee hikes, plans ordinance

Draft ordinance proposes penalties up to ₹50,000 and allows school property seizure for repeat violations to regulate arbitrary private school fee hikes

The Delhi government is preparing to introduce an ordinance within a week to regulate fees in private schools, aiming to curb arbitrary hikes and strengthen oversight. The draft, part of the proposed Delhi School Education Bill, 2025, includes penalties of up to ₹50,000 for violations and provisions for the confiscation of school property in repeat offences.

 

According to a report by news agency ANI, the draft ordinance has already been sent to the Law Department for vetting. It proposes the formation of committees at the school, district, and review levels to assess and approve fee structures.

 

The bill was initially scheduled for presentation during a special legislative session on May 13–14, which was later cancelled. It is now expected to be tabled as a full bill in the upcoming Monsoon Session.

 

 

DPS Dwarka incident triggers public outrage

The move follows mounting concerns over unregulated fee hikes, particularly after a controversy involving DPS Dwarka, where several students were reportedly expelled for failing to pay increased fees. The Delhi High Court intervened, terming the school’s actions “inhuman” and ordering the reinstatement of affected students upon partial payment of the hiked fee. Parents alleged that “bouncers” were deployed to block entry, and some students were confined to the library.

 

Show-cause notices served to defaulting schools

On April 16, the government issued show-cause notices to 10 schools accused of arbitrary fee increases and failing to submit mandatory audit reports. So far, the government has collected audit reports from 600 schools, though the names of the penalised institutions have not been disclosed.

 

New audit framework and corruption checks planned

Delhi Education Minister Ashish Sood earlier told ANI that a “strong documentation system” would be established to scrutinise past approvals of fee hikes, investigate potential corruption, and prevent future malpractice. “We will not tolerate any such malpractice under any circumstances,” he said.

 

“We aim to collect audit reports from all 1,670 schools in Delhi. There will be no room for dishonesty,” Sood had said.

 

Chief Minister vows to protect students and parents

Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has also reiterated the government’s commitment to ensuring fair treatment of parents and students. She has stated that unauthorised fee hikes and harassment will not be tolerated under her administration.