Overview

• The Department of School Education and Literacy issued a formal letter on October 11 encouraging a shift from cash to digital fee payments in schools.
• States and Union Territories, along with NCERT, CBSE, KVS and NVS, were asked to explore mechanisms for collecting admission and examination fees digitally.
• Recommended options include UPI, mobile wallets and net banking, with an emphasis on convenience, transparency and the ability for families to pay from home.
• Officials framed the push under the ‘Ease of Schooling’ and broader Digital Transformation objectives, citing benefits for financial literacy and the Viksit Bharat 2047 vision.
• The guidance is advisory rather than mandatory, and implementation details depend on decisions by states, UTs and individual institutions.