Fee hikes: Delhi CM Rekha Gupta vows to foil profit-making designs of schools

New Delhi, Aug 7 Hailing the policy decisions taken on school fee fixation, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said on Thursday the government would foil all profit-making designs of unscrupulous institutions which indulge in unfair fee hikes.

Talking to reporters after interacting with parents on Assembly premises, CM Gupta said, “For the first time, a Delhi government since 1973 is standing firmly with parents and there is no behind-the-scenes manipulation on the fee issue.”

She said her government’s message to schools is simple. “If you're working in the field of education, you must understand that you're serving society, not running a business. If you come looking to make profits here, then Delhi won't offer you that opportunity.”

“If you're opening a school in Delhi, provide quality education to children and collect fees to meet your legitimate expenses. Beyond that, the government cannot support profit-making motives,” she said.

For the success of Delhi’s children, the government will do everything needed, she said, vowing to improve the education infrastructure in the city.

The Chief Minister also hit out at the previous Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government for its failure to do anything for the students and parents who were suffering at the hands of private schools.

“The BJP government has done something which the AAP government could not do,” she said.

The CM’s remarks come in the backdrop of the presentation of the Delhi School Education (Transparency in Fixation and Regulation of Fees) Bill, 2025, in the Assembly.

She described it as a step toward regulating private school fees and a move aimed at bringing predictability, transparency, and accountability to the fee structures of private unaided schools across the capital.

Education Minister Ashish Sood earlier said that the Bill establishes a comprehensive institutional framework to ensure transparency and accountability in private school fee regulation, with active involvement of all stakeholders -- parents, teachers, and school management.

The Minister said the Bill proposes a transparent and inclusive three-tier mechanism, which includes a school-level committee, a district-level appellate committee, and a state-level revision committee to ensure fair resolution of fee-related matters.

The Bill prohibits any form of coercive action against a school student for non-payment of fees.

He said violations will attract a penalty of Rs 50,000 per student, which will be doubled after 20 days and tripled if uncorrected after another 20 days.

“For broader non-compliance with fee regulations, schools can be fined up to Rs 10 lakh. In extreme or repeated cases, the Director of Education is empowered to suspend recognition or even take over the school’s management to ensure compliance,” he said.

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