NEW DELHI: Delhi High Court on Saturday deferred the implementation of the city government’s mandate to private schools to constitute a ‘school level fee regulation committee’ (SLFRC) for the upcoming academic session till the petitions challenging the government decision are decided by the court.
The HC bench said, “During the pendency of petitions, the constitution of SLFRC shall remain in abeyance, and the schools shall be entitled to collect the same fees for the academic year 2026-2027 as they did the previous academic year.” The bench said that any exorbitant fees shall be regulated as per the law.
“It would be expedient to defer the constitution of the SLFRC during the pendency of the petitions, which will be heard finally on March 12, 2026,” the bench said. The bench was hearing a batch of petitions filed by several school associations seeking a stay on the February 1 notification by the Delhi government that asked the schools to set up the SLFRC within 10 days.
Reacting to the verdict, Delhi Education Minister Ashish Sood stated that it is a “testament to the strong political will” of the government. The minister hailed the court’s decision to stay fee hikes until March 12 as a definitive shield for the people of Delhi against the exploitative “fee mafia”. “This is not just a legal win; it is a victory of the strong political will of this government. For years, the parents were left at the mercy of arbitrary hikes. Today, the law has stood by jurisprudence. Our department fought this case tooth and nail, and the results are here for everyone to see. Until the SLFRC is constituted after the March 12 hearing, no increased fee shall be applicable,” he said.