In the past 20 days since the new academic session for 2025–26 began, the city’s private school fee hike issue has taken centre stage. Over 600 schools have been inspected, audit reports sought and 11 schools have been issued notices. The Delhi High Court also slammed a prominent private school, while the Education Minister Ashish Sood vowed strict action. Chief Minister Rekha Gupta reiterated the government’s “zero tolerance” stance against arbitrary fee hikes.
The period has seen widespread protests by parents outside school gates, with allegations of harassment of students over unpaid fees triggering outrage. The issue has spiraled into a political flashpoint, pitting the new Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government against the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which had governed Delhi for more than a decade.
Fee Hike: A Political Battleground
The escalating tensions raise a key question: Did the previous AAP government fail to regulate private schools during its tenure and has the fee hike issue become a battleground for AAP vs BJP politics?
Shailendra Sharma, who served as Principal Advisor to the Director of Education for over eight years in the AAP-led government and is now an independent education consultant, called the recent actions “political showmanship.”
“This is just political show off, pure leadership. There are two main types of complaints,” Sharma said.
“First, that schools are increasing fees without the mandatory approval from the Directorate of Education. Second, that some schools are harassing students when parents cannot pay the increased fees—barring them from classes or denying entry,” Sharma said.
He criticised the BJP-led Delhi government’s recent directive to District Magistrates (DMs) to inspect schools. “Under the Delhi School Education Act, 1973, the competent authority on fee matters is the Director of Education, not DMs or SDMs. The Director of Education can get the accounts of the schools audited by chartered accountants and can give orders. And if the orders are not followed, he can initiate proceedings to cancel the recognition of the concerned school or take it under the government. If there is a possibility of obstruction in government work from the school, then the Director of Education can seek the help of the concerned DM or SDM. But this isn’t a case where a DM should storm into schools like Spider-Man. This is theatrics, not governance.”
On the DPS Dwarka Case
Sharma also weighed in on the controversial case involving Delhi Public School, Dwarka, which allegedly harassed children over unpaid fees.
“No school can legally inflict mental or physical distress on a child. Such acts are punishable under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, and the Right to Education Act, 2009,” he said.
He acknowledged that the DM, who heads the District Child Protection Unit, did visit DPS Dwarka and concluded that the school had mentally harassed students. “Since the DM is also the head of the Child Protection Unit of his district, he can personally visit the school and investigate the allegation. And this is what happened in the case of DPS Dwarka. Not only this, the DM himself found that DPS Dwarka was guilty of mentally torturing children.” “Despite this, no FIR was registered against the school principal. This makes the DM’s visit seem like symbolic leadership rather than legal action,” he added.
Sharma urged the Delhi government to take decisive legal and administrative action. He demanded three immediate steps to be taken in the matter. “If the Delhi Education Minister is not really just ‘shadow boxing’ in the matter of exorbitant fees of private schools, then these three steps should be taken immediately: Firstly, a case of child abuse should be filed against DPS Dwarka. Secondly, a ‘forensic audit’ of the schools applying for fee hike should be conducted by CAG empanelled auditors. Lastly, the schools which have increased the fees on their own should be ordered not to charge the increased fees.” Sharma added, “The next steps taken by the BJP-led Delhi government will reveal whether it supports profiteering by private schools or stands with the parents.”
What Goes Into a School’s Fee Hike Decision
Before a private school in Delhi decides to hike its fees, a structured review process takes place—one that involves both government nominees and parent representatives.
Every year on April 1, the School Management Committee (SMC) convenes to evaluate the financial blueprint for the academic session ahead. The committee typically includes two members from the Delhi Education Advisory Board, two nominees from the Directorate of Education and several representatives from the Parent-Teacher Association.
During the meeting, schools present their estimated budget, taking into account the income and expenditure of the previous year, as well as financial projections for the upcoming session. It is at this stage that school authorities make their case for a fee hike—explaining why it is required and the proposed percentage increase.
Once the proposals are discussed, the government-appointed nominees review them. If approved, the proposal is forwarded to the Directorate of Education as part of official protocol. Since the nominees act on behalf of the DoE, their approval is usually treated as the green light for the school to implement the hike. This process suggests that the Delhi government is already informed about the fee revision before it is formally announced by the school.
The regulation of school fee structures in Delhi is governed by the Delhi School Education Act and Rules (DSEAR), 1973. According to the Act, private unaided schools built on government-allotted land must seek prior approval from the Directorate of Education before any fee revision. However, a key legal development in 2018 reshaped the fee hike policy. In response to a petition filed by the Action Committee Unaided Recognised Private Schools (ACURPS), the Delhi High Court ruled that all private unaided schools—regardless of whether they occupy government or private land—do not require prior permission from the DoE to increase fees, provided they avoid profiteering and do not commercialise education.
In a further clarification issued in 2024, the Directorate of Education reiterated that private schools built on Delhi Development Authority (DDA) land must obtain prior approval before raising fees. The order specified that these schools must follow either the last approved fee structure or the one submitted in their most recent fee statement.
What is School Management Committee
The SMC includes 16 members—among them one Ex-officio chairperson of SMC who is the principal, one elected local authority representative, one convener (teacher of the school), one social worker involved in the field of education, and 12 parents. These committees are required to meet every two months, and their meeting records must be made public.
How Schools Justify Fee Hikes
RC Jain, President of the Delhi State Public Schools Management Committee, a representative body of Delhi Public Schools, outlined several key reasons behind the recurring fee hikes in private institutions. According to Jain, schools are left with little choice due to financial pressures arising from statutory obligations and rising operational costs.
“The EWS (Economically Weaker Sections) quota in private schools, mandated under the Right to Education (RTE) Act, places a significant burden on school resources,” Jain said. “Private schools are required to reserve 25% of their entry-level seats for EWS students and provide free education. This mandate impacts the financial stability of many schools and is one of the main reasons for fee hikes.” Jain further pointed to the high commercial taxes schools must pay, including a 40% house tax, which he said contributes substantially to their financial strain.
Additionally, he cited Section 10(1) of the Delhi School Education Act, 1973, which mandates that 80% of a school’s revenue should be spent on staff salaries. Jain argued that any proposed fee hike should account for inflation and be adjusted against the Consumer Price Index (CPI) accordingly. “The issue could be resolved with appropriate intervention from the Delhi government,” he added. “However, the previous government did not constitute an Education Advisory Board for the past ten years. The last meeting with the former Education Minister, Manish Sisodia, was in 2015,” he said.
Vividh Gupta, Principal of Bal Bhawan Public School, Mayur Vihar Phase II, acknowledged the need for sensitivity while justifying the hike. “It is crucial for schools to remain sensitive to the financial challenges faced by parents,” he said.
“However, the obligation to pay staff salaries in accordance with government norms is a significant financial burden for school managements.”
Gupta emphasised that quality education is closely tied to the well-being and motivation of teachers and fair compensation is essential to maintain standards. “Unfortunately, schools are often portrayed as villains in public discourse,” he noted. “While some institutions may misuse regulatory loopholes, painting all schools with the same brush is unjust. Each school operates under different circumstances. We need a more balanced and nuanced conversation that supports both educators and families.”
Teacher salaries remain one of the most cited reasons for fee hikes across private schools. The Directorate of Education highlighted this issue in an order last year related to a fee hike review. The order mentioned, “It has been observed that there is one teacher for every 22 students, which is significantly lower than the standard prescribed by the CBSE and the RTE Act. This indicates overstaffing. The school management is required to examine this imbalance and establish a more optimal student-teacher ratio—without compromising the standard of education.”
Parents Speak Up
The Delhi Parents Association (DPA) has taken an active role in resisting arbitrary fee hikes. The group recently posted an image on social media showing that school fees had risen by 45% to 64% between 2015 and 2025. In a strongly-worded post on X (formerly Twitter), the DPA questioned the silence of authorities: “If a citizen is fined for jumping a red light, then why are schools allowed to break rules with impunity? Why is there a slience?”
Education activist and All India Parents’ Association (AIPA) president Ashok Agarwal has also urged CM Rekha Gupta to adopt short- and long-term measures to tackle the issue of “arbitrary” fee hikes by unaided private schools. In a letter to the Chief Minister, Agarwal suggested immediate enforcement of a 1998 Delhi High Court order that requires scrutiny of private schools’ financial records. “Schools found
profiteering should refund excess fees,” he said. “In the long term, there is a need for comprehensive legislation, such as the Delhi Unaided Private Schools (Regulation of Collection of Fee) Act 2025, to prevent exploitation,” he said.
A draft of this bill, prepared by Agarwal, was submitted to the concerned authorities.
Regulation vs Autonomy
Meeta Sengupta, a Delhi-based educationist, emphasised the need for balanced regulation. “Fee hikes are sometimes essential to sustain teacher salaries and infrastructure. But schools must be respectful in how they implement changes. Shaming students is unacceptable,” she said.
What Happened in 2014
The ongoing controversy around fee hikes in Delhi’s private schools is not new. In 2014, a committee formed by the Delhi High Court recommended that 80 private schools refund excess fees collected in 2009.
The recommendation came after these schools were found to have hiked fees under the pretext of implementing the Sixth Pay Commission’s salary revisions but failed to pass on the increased pay to their staff.
A three-member committee headed by Rajasthan High Court’s former chief justice Anil Dev Singh, set up in 2011, examined the financial records of 150 schools on a random basis out of total 1,172 schools and submitted its fifth interim report before the court.
With this report, the committee had examined the financial records of 755 private schools in the city. The report revealed that several schools had “unjustly” increased fees and recommended that they refund the excess amount along with 9% interest to parents.
Among the 150 schools reviewed, the committee found that the fee hike was “unjustified, either partially or fully” in at least 80 institutions. It also flagged concerns over the reliability of records submitted by 65 schools and recommended a “special inspection” of those institutions in addition to the refund of fees.
A Storm That’s Far From Over
The fee hike issue has laid bare the systemic gaps in school governance and the political complexities surrounding education in Delhi. While the current BJP government promises reform and transparency, it remains to be seen whether it will go beyond optics and initiate structural changes.
Epicentre
DPS Dwarka Draws flak over fee hike & student discrimination
One of the leading private schools, DPS Dwarka, came under the scanner for alleged fee irregularities and violation of student rights. The school faced serious backlash for increasing fees without government approval and allegedly barring students from classes over non-payment. Some even claim that names of such students were displayed publicly, leading to humiliation. Taking note, the Delhi High Court directed the school to re-admit the affected students and asked parents to pay 50% of the disputed amount as an interim measure. One of the concerned parents posted an old audit report of DPS Dwarka which had emphasised that the management committee had suggested no fee hike for the 2016-17. Sharing the post on X, she stated, “Schools aren’t businesses. They’re non-profits, but just look at the old DPS Dwarka audit report. Massive surplus, yet they wanted a fee hike? Every Delhi school must face a CAG-empanelled audit. Roll back the loot. Publish the audit reports online.”
