Delhi Govt cracks down on private schools over fee hike

In response to mounting complaints from parents and students, the Delhi Government on Wednesday said it had launched an extensive inspection campaign targeting private unaided schools that had been accused of imposing irregular and excessive fee hike.

The move comes amid growing concerns about the financial strain on families and the commercialisation of education, with reports indicating that some schools have blatantly ignored established regulations designed to protect students’ interests.

The Education Department’s action includes the formation of district-level inspection committees, each led by a Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) and staffed by education officials, government school principals and financial officers.

“These committees are tasked with conducting comprehensive on-ground inspections of private schools across Delhi. Already, over 600 schools have been scrutinised as of April 16, 2025, with the remaining inspections scheduled to be completed swiftly,’ a senior Delhi Government official said.

The official said schools that had unreasonably increased their fees had been issued show-cause notices under the Section 24 (3) of the DSEAR 1973.

“We will not allow private schools to take advantage of families by violating established norms. Our inspections will ensure that the rules are followed, and appropriate penalties will be levied on those found guilty of profiteering,” the official said.

Alongside the issue of exorbitant fee hikes, the directorate has uncovered widespread non-compliance with statutory obligations as several private schools were found to have failed to file the mandatory fee statements and audited financial reports.

A particularly concerning trend uncovered during the inspections is the practice of “dummy schooling” — where students are enrolled without receiving the full educational benefits they are entitled to. The Education Department has identified 20 such schools engaging in this malpractice, and stringent legal actions have been initiated against them.

Delhi