Delhi government eases school fee fixation process after SC order

NEW DELHI: The Delhi government has issued a Gazette notification to smoothen the implementation of the Delhi School Education (Transparency in Fixation and Regulation of Fees) Act after the Supreme Court raised questions over its new fee fixation law.

According to the Gazette notification issued on Sunday, every school has been directed to constitute a school-level fee regulation committee (SLFRC) within 10 days of the publication of the order, while committees already formed under the earlier notification will be treated as valid under the new arrangement.

The Gazette further said that school managements must submit details of the proposed fee structure for the next block of three academic years starting from 2026-27 within 14 days of forming the SLFRC, after which the committee will proceed to fix the fees according to the provisions of the Act.

The director of education (DoE) has also been instructed to set up district fee appellate committees (DFACs) in each education district within 30 days to hear appeals related to fee fixation, it said.

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The notification clarified that the revised timelines will apply only for the immediate next block of three academic years beginning 2026-27 and the strict timelines laid down in the Act and Rules will be followed for all future blocks.

Delhi: Relief for parents

In an important interim relief for parents, the Gazette said that schools will not be allowed to charge any amount over and above the fee being collected as on April 1, 2025 till the new fee structure is fixed for the upcoming block.

It also said that any exorbitant fee charged by schools for the academic year 2025-26 will be regulated in accordance with the law, subject to the final outcome of the cases pending before the Delhi High Court and the Supreme Court.

Addressing the transition period between two fee cycles, the Gazette added that once a three-year fee block expires, schools cannot increase fees beyond the last fixed amount until the fee for the next block is officially approved and any excess collected in the interim will have to be adjusted later.

Delhi government's fee regulation

The move comes against the backdrop of the Supreme Court recently examining the validity of the Delhi government's fee regulation framework, with the court seeking clarity on several provisions of the law, including the structure of committees and safeguards against arbitrary fee hikes.

The apex court had also taken note of concerns raised by private schools over timelines and administrative hurdles in implementing the Act.

The Delhi School Education (Transparency in Fixation and Regulation of Fees) Bill was passed by the Delhi Assembly in 2025, with the stated objective of bringing greater transparency and parental participation in deciding school fees and curbing arbitrary increases.