Delhi Cabinet Approves Ordinance to Regulate Private School Fees
New Delhi: In a significant move aimed at protecting parents from arbitrary fee hikes, the Delhi Cabinet on Monday approved the Delhi School Education (Transparency in Fixation and Regulation of Fees) Ordinance, 2025. The decision was taken during the government’s 8th cabinet meeting held at the Secretariat.
Announcing the decision at a press conference, Delhi’s Education Minister Ashish Sood said the ordinance is designed to rein in exploitative fee collection practices by private schools and bring long-awaited financial relief to parents.
“In the last 100 days, every cabinet meeting under Chief Minister Rekha Gupta’s leadership has resulted in key decisions in public interest,” Sood stated. “Today’s approval is a major step towards ensuring transparency and fairness in school fee structures.”
The ordinance, once enacted, will prohibit private schools from arbitrarily increasing fees and is expected to directly impact over 1,600 private schools in the capital. It will take effect retroactively from April 1, 2025, following the President’s assent. This means parents who were compelled to pay steep fees earlier this academic year may be eligible for relief.
Sood added that the ordinance will be sent to the Lieutenant Governor, who will forward it to the President of India for approval.
“This is a historic day for Delhi’s middle-class families,” said Sood. “For years, under the previous AAP government, parents were burdened by unchecked fee hikes. The BJP government is now taking a decisive step to end this injustice.” He also highlighted that this is the first major education-related legislative initiative by a BJP-led government in Delhi in nearly three decades.
Framing the move as part of the broader vision of “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas,” Sood emphasized the government’s commitment to transparent and citizen-centric governance.Once enacted, the ordinance will serve as a regulatory framework for Delhi’s 1,677 private schools, ensuring that fee hikes are justified, accountable, and in line with parents’ expectations.
