Parents and school principals in Delhi have welcomed the draft bill to regulate fees in all private schools.

On Tuesday, the Delhi cabinet approved the Delhi School Education Transparency in Fixation and Regulation of Fees Bill, 2025, to bring clarity and fairness to the fee structure in private institutions.

Sudha Acharya, principal of ITL International School in Dwarka, said the bill will bring transparency between schools and parents and will help resolve the long-standing concerns around fee increases, she said.

RN Jindal, chairperson of Sovereign School in Rohini, echoed a similar sentiment and said, “Including five parents in the fee regulation committees is a unique approach, as it allows them to directly share their perspectives on fee-related matters.”

Delhi Parents’ Association chief Aprajita Gautam, too, praised the “long-awaited bill” and parents have been fighting for it for over a decade.

“We hope (now) there will be no further issues related to fee hikes. The use of a lottery to select parent representatives will also help ensure fairness,” she added.

At a press conference, chief minister Rekha Gupta said that schools found violating the new directives could face penalties ranging from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 10 lakh.

Calling the bill a “bold and historic” step, Gupta announced that the BJP government would convene a special session of the Delhi Assembly to pass the legislation.

Education minister Ashish Sood, who accompanied her, said that the bill proposes a three-tier system of fee regulation committees at the school, district and state levels.

These committees will introduce a structured, transparent process to determine school fees and protect parents from sudden hikes, he highlighted.

At the school level, each committee will include the school management chairperson, the principal as member secretary, three teachers and five parents — ensuring representation from SC/ST communities and at least two women, said a statement.

The bill mandates that these school-level committees be formed by July 31, with reports to be submitted within 30 days. It stated that fee hikes, if any, must be justified through genuine infrastructure or service improvements.

Additionally, schools facing financial irregularities or suspended recognition will not be allowed to propose fee hikes.

AAP, however, called the bill “an act to legalise undue profiteering by private schools” and “a tool for exploitation of Delhi’s middle class.” 

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