Overview
- The Delhi High Court dismissed the DoE’s appeals and upheld a 7 February 2024 order that quashed fee-freeze directions against Bluebells School International and Lilawati Vidya Mandir.
- The bench held that fee regulation for unaided recognised schools is limited to preventing profiteering, commercialisation and capitation fees under the Delhi School Education Act.
- The matter was remanded to the DoE for fresh, lawful inquiries with an opportunity of hearing, with the court stressing that any surplus must be used only for educational purposes.
- The court noted the DoE may act after examining schools’ fee statements if spending breaches the Act or Rules, including action to stop diversion of funds for personal or business use.
- The development follows the Delhi government’s new fee-transparency law and a Supreme Court case where the government said schools on concessional land need prior DoE approval, with the DPS Dwarka dispute prompting directions to protect students pending further hearing.