Delhi Private Fee Regulation Bill 2026: The Delhi government informed the Supreme Court on Monday that the law regulating private school fees will come into effect from the 2026-2027 academic session, instead of the ongoing 2025-2026 session. The submission was made while the Supreme Court was hearing a batch of petitions filed by private school associations challenging the Delhi School Education (Transparency in Fixation and Regulation of Fees) Act, 2025, before the Delhi High Court.
Under the Delhi School Education (Transparency in Fixation and Regulation of Fees) Bill, 2025, all 1,700 private schools in the capital will be barred from increasing fees without prior government approval.
Earlier, on January 19, the Supreme Court observed that enforcing the law during the ongoing academic session would be "unviable" and had asked the Delhi government to consider deferring its implementation to April 2026.
The Supreme Court today clarified that its only concern was the hurry in implementation. Now, that the state government has said it will be implemented from next session, top court has disposed of the plea. However, the Delhi High Court will continue to hear pleas by private schools challenging the law.
Earlier Fee Regulations Covered Only 300 Schools
The earlier rules under the Delhi School Education Act, 1973 applied to only about 300 schools, leaving most private institutions outside the fee regulation framework. Over the years, sudden and steep fee hikes by private schools have raised serious concerns among parents.
The new Act expands fee regulation to all 1,700 private unaided schools in Delhi, closing existing loopholes and ensuring that every fee hike follows a transparent process.
Key Rules Under the Delhi School Education (Transparency in Fixation and Regulation of Fees) Act, 2025
The Act lays down clear guidelines for fee increases in private schools:
- Schools cannot raise fees without government approval
- Penalties for unauthorised fee hikes range from Rs. 1 lakh to Rs. 5 lakh for first-time offences
- Repeat violations can attract fines of up to Rs. 10 lakh
- If excess fees are not refunded within the stipulated deadline, penalties double after 20 days, triple after 40 days, and continue to escalate with further delay
- Repeat offenders may lose the right to propose future fee hikes and could also be barred from holding school management positions
How Will Fee Hike Decisions Be Taken?
The Act introduces a multi-level committee system involving parents, teachers, school management, and government officials.
- School-level committees must decide on fee proposals by July 15 each year
- District-level reviews must be completed by July 30
- Final decisions must be taken by September
- If no resolution is reached within 45 days, the matter will be referred to an appellate committee
- This structure aims to ensure collective decision-making and give parents greater oversight in the fee fixation process.