Maharashtra Clears Backlog of School Fee Complaints with New Panels

The Maharashtra government has set up divisional panels led by retired judges to oversee school fee regulation and resolve grievances raised by parents in four regions, including Mumbai. This move fulfills a crucial provision under the Maharashtra Educational Institutions (Regulation of Fee) Act, 2011, which requires each division to constitute a Divisional Fee Regulatory Committee (DFRC). These bodies were not in place after the previous administration’s tenure concluded in 2024, leading to a pile-up of complaints regarding private school fees at the offices of deputy directors of education across the state.

Through these fresh appointments, authorities aim to address the pending cases and ensure a more structured mechanism for monitoring fee policies in private schools. Officials stated that the initiative will help streamline the system while strengthening accountability among educational institutions. By actively reviewing grievances and enforcing rules, the committees are expected to restore confidence among parents and create a more balanced framework for fee regulation across Maharashtra’s education sector.

The newly formed committees will examine issues such as steep fee increases and ensure that schools follow prescribed government norms. They are also expected to promote greater openness in the way institutions determine their fee structures. For Mumbai, retired district judge M S Gupta has been appointed as the chairman of the DFRC, while the divisional deputy director of education will act as the ex-officio member-secretary. In Pune, the committee will be led by retired district judge S S Gulhane, with the divisional deputy director of education serving as the member-secretary.

Similarly, in Nagpur, retired district judge OP Jaiswal will head the committee, supported by the divisional deputy director of education as the member-secretary. For the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar division, retired district judge KR Devsarkar has been appointed as chairman, with the divisional deputy director of education assigned the role of member-secretary. Alongside these divisional bodies, the state has also formed a revision committee at the state level, which will be chaired by retired high court judge MG Gaikwad, while the joint director of education (secondary and higher secondary) for Pune will serve as the ex-officio member-secretary.