Overview

• The Delhi Assembly approved the Delhi School Education (Transparency in Fixation and Regulation of Fees) Bill, 2025 by majority vote on August 8, making government permission mandatory for any fee hike at all private unaided schools in Delhi.
• The legislation sets up a three-tier committee system at school, district and state levels to review fee proposals, with parents guaranteed representation and the power to veto any increase.
• Schools charging fees beyond approved levels must refund excess amounts within 20 working days, face fines of ₹1–5 lakh for first offences and ₹2–10 lakh for repeat violations, and may see their accounts frozen under SDM-equivalent authority granted to the Director of Education.
• AAP leader Atishi condemned the bill’s omission of mandatory financial audits, warning that the absence of account reviews could allow unchecked surpluses and undermine fee legitimacy.
• With Assembly passage secured, the bill now moves to Lieutenant Governor V.K. Saxena for assent before implementation guidelines are finalised.