Delhi’s Education Minister Ashish Sood on Monday presented the Delhi School Education (Transparency in Fixation and Regulation of Fees) Bill, 2025 in the legislative assembly, which has been prepared with an aim to provide relief to a large number of students and their parents across the national capital.
During his address, Sood said, “Today, I bring before this House a permanent solution to a long-ignored issue that affects millions of parents and children in Delhi.”
The minister emphasized that education is a sacred duty, a responsibility that must be upheld for the progress and prosperity of the nation.
He further asserted that the purpose of education is not to generate profit, but to ensure learning and nation-building.
Citing national examples, he spoke of how the central government has resolved several long-standing legacy issues like the Ram Mandir, Chenab Bridge, Article 370, and rural electrification.
Similarly, he said, “the Delhi Government is now addressing critical and complex legacy issues of the capital—one of the most pressing being the unchecked rise in private school fees.”
He clarified that this is not a recent problem, but one that has troubled Delhi’s parents for decades.
Sood minister highlighted the declining quality of government schools over the years, the shortage of school infrastructure, and the resulting dependence on private schools, that ultimately led to mental and financial stress for many families.
Taking aim at previous governments, Sood alleged that earlier regimes issued token orders just for show, while either fearing or colluding with the “education mafia.”
He claimed that, “No audits were conducted, no records maintained—everything was running on an ad-hoc basis,” he added.
He also pointed out that the previous AAP regime had built only 20 new schools during its tenure, with most new schools being approved under earlier administrations.
Meanwhile, the key provisions of the bill are that it will apply to all private unaided recognized schools in Delhi.
Every school must submit a three-year proposed fee structure in advance, with changes allowed only once in three years.
A three-tier regulatory and appeals system will be established at the school, district, and state levels.
Fee determination criteria will include infrastructure, staff salaries, and annual increments—but profiteering will be strictly prohibited.
Schools must publicly disclose financial records and proposed fees, and for the unauthorized fee hikes, penalties will range from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 10 lakh, while repeated violations will attract double or triple fines.
If a student is harassed, humiliated, or removed due to fee issues, a fine of Rs 50,000 per student will be imposed.
In case of repeated violations, the school’s recognition can be cancelled, or the government may take over its operations.
During a fee dispute, the school may only charge fees as per the previous year, while the minister also added that the bill is not only aimed at creating a transparent and accountable system, but also safeguards the interests of students, parents, and all education stakeholders.