Delhi education minister terms HC stay on govt's order on school fee hike relief for parents

NEW DELHI: Delhi Education Minister Ashish Sood on Saturday described an order of the Delhi High Court in connection with the school fee regulation matter as a significant interim relief for parents and said the government would strictly enforce the directions. The high court on Saturday deferred the implementation of the city government's mandate to private schools to constitute school-level fee-regulation committees (SLFRCs) for the upcoming academic session.

A bench of Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia said during the pendency of the petitions challenging the government decision, the constitution of the SLFRCs shall remain in abeyance, and the schools shall be entitled to collect the same fees for the academic year 2026-2027 as they did in the previous academic year.

"It would be expedient to defer the constitution of the SLFRC during the pendency of the petitions, which as it will be heard finally on March 12, 2026," the court opined.

The bench passed the order on pleas moved by several school associations seeking a stay on a February 1 notification of the Delhi government that asked the schools to set up the SLFRCs within 10 days.

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Schools can't levy fee hike untill next hearing

However, Sood said the court's decision ensured that schools cannot levy enhanced fees until the matter is heard again and the SLFRC is constituted. He said that only the fee applicable in the previous academic year can be charged during this period.

The minister said the court has also safeguarded the government's right to scrutinise and regulate any exorbitant fees charged by private schools for the 2025-26 academic session.

He added that the Directorate of Education (DoE) would examine such cases and take action in accordance with the law after March 12, subject to the final decision of the court.

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Referring to the court's observations, Sood said any unreasonable or excessive fee collected by schools would be regulated as per legal provisions, including adjustment or refund where applicable. He said the order makes it clear that no vested right has been created for schools to increase fees.

The education minister also alleged that the order had exposed what he termed a nexus involving the Aam Aadmi Party, certain NGOs and private school managements, which, according to him, had delayed fee regulation in the past.