DELHI NEWS : Delhi Education Minister Ashish Sood introduced the “Delhi School Education (Fee Determination and Transparency in Regulation) Bill, 2025” in the Assembly on Monday. While presenting the bill, he asserted that “education should not be treated as a commodity.” He said the purpose of the bill is to curb the commercialisation of education and to act against those turning education into a profit-making business. The proposed legislation is aimed at regulating private school fee hikes in Delhi, with stringent action against schools that raise fees without justification.
Key Highlights of the Bill:
The bill, which received Cabinet approval on April 29, is intended to control arbitrary fee increases by private schools. Under its provisions, schools violating the rules for the first time can be fined between ₹1 lakh and ₹5 lakh. Repeat offences could result in higher fines ranging from ₹2 lakh to ₹10 lakh. If a school does not return excess fees within the given deadline, penalties will double after 20 days, triple after 40 days, and continue to increase every 20 days. Persistent violations may lead to school officials being barred from management roles and losing their right to request fee revisions in the future.
AAP’s Objection:
Despite the government’s claim that the bill safeguards parents’ interests, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has strongly opposed it. Chief Minister Rekha Gupta had earlier said the bill would bring transparency and protect families from arbitrary practices. However, AAP leaders, including senior member Atishi, argue that the bill is structured to favour private school operators. They have criticized the government for not making the bill public and questioned its motives. As the bill proceeds to further debate in the Assembly, the political clash over its contents is expected to escalate.