NEW DELHI: Giving a breather for thousands of parents in Delhi, the Supreme Court on Monday ruled that private unaided schools in the national capital which are constructed on public land will have to seek prior approval of the Delhi government before changing fee structure.
A bench headed by Chief Justice J S Khehar asked the 400 private unaided schools here not to hike fees before seeking permission and said, “If schools do not obey this, then they can shut down and vacate the land immediately.”
As per rule, for schools constructed on Delhi Development Authorities' land and that of the Land and Development Department, prior permission from the Delhi government’s Directorate of Education is necessary for enhancing fee.
The order assumes significance as the schools were about to announce the change in fee structure soon as the admissions into nursery classes are currently on.
The order came on the plea filed by private unaided schools challenging the 2016 ruling of the Delhi High Court which stated that private unaided schools cannot hike fee without prior approval from the DoE.