NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Thursday issued a notice to the Directorate of Education (DoE) of the Delhi government and the Action Committee of Unaided Recognised Private Schools on a petition filed by a parents’ association challenging the Delhi High Court’s orders allowing fee hikes in private schools located on government land.
A two-judge vacation bench of CJI BR Gavai and Justice Augustine George Masih asked the DoE and the Action Committee to file their replies to the petition filed by the Naya Samaj Parents Association.
The plea has questioned two Delhi HC orders passed in April 2024, which allowed private schools on government land to increase tuition fees without getting prior approval from the DoE.
The parents said that several private unaided schools in Delhi have since raised their tuition fees by up to 100%. They also claimed that some schools have taken action against students when the increased fees were not paid, creating confusion and distress among families.
The parents’ association argued that the HC’s orders contradict earlier rulings by a division bench of the same court and the top court, which required private schools on government land to seek permission from the DoE before raising fees. The parents’ group also urged the SC to stay the HC orders until the matter is fully reviewed.
The petition sought a direction from the SC to set aside the paragraph of a HC order in which it said private school situated on the government land are not bound to take prior permission from DoE before hiking tuition fee.