The Delhi Assembly has passed the Delhi School Education (Transparency in Fixation and Regulation of Fees) Bill, 2025.
The bill mandates that all private unaided schools in the capital must obtain government approval before increasing fees, extending oversight to over 1,400 institutions previously exempt from regulation.
Education Minister Ashish Sood, introducing the bill, emphasised its role in protecting parents from sudden financial burdens. “No school will be able to increase fees without the government’s permission,” he stated.
The legislation replaces the limited provisions of the 1973 Delhi School Education Act, which only applied to schools on government-allotted land. The new bill covers all private schools, regardless of land ownership, and aims to enforce accountability across the board.
The bill’s passage followed a four-hour debate marked by political friction. Chief Minister Rekha Gupta hailed it as “a 52-year wait finally ending,” while the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) criticised the bill for allegedly favouring select institutions. All eight amendments proposed by AAP were rejected by the BJP majority.
The bill now awaits assent from Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena. Once approved, it will become law, ensuring that fee hikes across Delhi’s private schools are subject to government scrutiny.
