NEW DELHI: Amid uproar over arbitrary fee hikes by private schools in the national capital, Education Minister Ashish Sood on Monday presented the landmark “Delhi School Education (Fee Regulation and Transparency) Bill, 2025” in the Delhi Legislative Assembly.
The Rekha Gupta-led government aimed to ensure a permanent solution to a long-ignored issue that affects millions of parents and children in Delhi as education is a sacred duty and a responsibility we must uphold for the progress and prosperity of our nation.
As far as key features of the bill are concerned, it will be applied to all private unaided recognised schools in Delhi and every school must submit a three-year proposed fee structure in advance, with changes allowed only once in three years. A three-tier regulatory and appeals system will be established at the school, district, and state levels, fee determination criteria will include infrastructure, staff salaries, and annual increments—but profiteering will be strictly prohibited and schools must publicly disclose financial records and proposed fees.
The other provisions of the bill are like for unauthorised fee hikes, penalties will range from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 10 lakh, repeated violations will attract double or triple fines. If a student is harassed, humiliated, or removed due to fee issues, a fine of Rs 50,000 per student will be imposed, in case of repeated violations, the school’s recognition can be cancelled, or the government may take over its operations and during a fee dispute, the school may only charge fees as per the previous year.
The minister stated that the bill is not only aimed at creating a transparent and accountable system, but also safeguards the interests of students, parents, and all education stakeholders.
While presenting the bill, the minister said that the purpose of education is not to generate profit, but to ensure learning and nation-building. Citing national examples, he spoke of how the central government has resolved several long-standing legacy issues like the Ram Mandir, Chenab Bridge, Article 370, and rural electrification. “Similarly,” he said, “the Delhi Government is now addressing critical and complex legacy issues of the capital—one of the most pressing being the unchecked rise in private school fees.”
He clarified that this is not a recent problem, but one that has troubled Delhi’s parents for decades. He highlighted the declining quality of government schools over the years, the shortage of school infrastructure, and the resulting dependence on private schools—leading to mental and financial stress for families.
Taking dig at previous governments, Sood remarked that earlier regimes issued token orders just for show, while either fearing or colluding with the “education mafia.” “No audits were conducted, no records maintained—everything was running on an ad-hoc basis,” he said.
He also pointed out that the current AAP government has built only 20 new schools during its tenure, with most new schools being approved under earlier administrations.
In conclusion, Sood said, “This bill is a true bottom-up approach, empowering parents with a voice in the decision-making process, a real embodiment of ‘Government of the people, by the people, for the people.”