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Supreme Court Presses Delhi to Delay Private School Fee Law to April 2026

The bench urged the Delhi government to consider deferring enforcement to April 2026 to prevent mid‑year disruption.

Overview

  • The court backed the law’s objective to curb high fees but warned that mid‑session, retrospective rollout could trigger recoveries from schools and make operations unviable.
  • It stopped short of staying the statute or rules and asked the government to take instructions, with the case listed for further hearing on January 27.
  • Delhi’s December 24 circular requires School Level Fee Regulation Committees, and the High Court extended deadlines to form them to January 20 and to file fee proposals to February 5.
  • Petitioners, including major school associations, contest the Act’s validity and say it dilutes management control through an 11‑member committee with a unanimity rule for fee approvals.
  • The government told the court that current charges would be treated as the ‘proposed fee’ for 2025–26, a stance the bench questioned as confusing for a year that has already begun.