In a major policy move aimed at curbing arbitrary fee hikes in schools, the Delhi government has approved a new draft bill titled Delhi School Education Transparency in Fixation and Regulation of Fees, 2025. The proposed legislation, once passed, will apply to all 1,677 private unaided and government-aided schools in the capital, promising tighter oversight and clearer rules around how and when school fees can be increased.
Chief Minister Rekha Gupta announced the draft bill at a press conference, citing long-standing complaints from parents about unauthorised fee hikes and mistreatment in schools. “We understood there was no clear process to check how schools are increasing fees,” she said. Gupta noted that the current law, dating back to 1973, lacked any specific provisions to regulate school fee hikes, making enforcement nearly impossible.
Following complaints, the government had directed District Magistrates to inspect schools. Subsequent audits revealed systemic issues in how fees were being raised. To address this gap, the Delhi Cabinet cleared the new bill that will define the roles of schools, parents, and the government in the fee-setting process.
Education Minister Ashish Sood said the earlier practice of issuing show-cause notices was insufficient. “Those were stop-gap arrangements. But now, we are proudly introducing a permanent and clear solution within just the first 65 days of our government,” he said.
The bill is expected to standardise fee hike procedures, ensuring that schools follow transparent, government-mandated norms. The move comes amid rising anger among parents, who have staged protests in recent months against sudden and steep fee increases.
In September 2024, parents at Maharaja Agrasen Model School in Pitampura protested an 18-20% annual fee hike. They alleged that students who resisted the hike were issued School Leaving Certificates, despite the Department of Education rejecting the hike. Similar scenes played out at Vanasthali Public School in Mayur Vihar, where a 100% fee hike triggered backlash. In April 2025, parents gathered outside DPS Dwarka over fee issues, prompting political promises of intervention.
