Delhi School Fee Hike Matter Reaches Supreme Court, Rekha Gupta Govt Gets Notice After Parents Protest

Delhi private schools’ fee hike challenged in Supreme Court; CM Rekha Gupta warns schools, orders probe, and vows zero tolerance for violations.

Delhi School Fee Hike Matter Reaches Supreme Court, Rekha Gupta Govt Gets Notice After Parents Protest

Source : PTI

The issue of fee hikes in Delhi's private schools has reached the Supreme Court, with parents challenging the decision. The apex court has issued notices to the Delhi government, Directorate of Education, and the Action Committee of Unaided Recognized Private Schools based on a petition filed by a parents’ association.

The petition, filed by the Naya Samaj Parents Association, seeks a stay on two recent orders passed by the Delhi High Court on April 8, 2025, and April 28, 2024. According to the petitioners, these orders permitted schools built on government-allotted land to increase tuition fees without prior approval from the Directorate of Education.

The association argues that the High Court's decisions contradict earlier Supreme Court judgments, leading to confusion in the education system. The petition claims that some unaided private schools have increased their fees by up to 100% following the High Court’s rulings. Furthermore, students unable to pay the revised fees are allegedly facing punitive action from school authorities.

In a related development, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has issued a stern warning to private schools over arbitrary fee hikes and expulsions. The matter has also come to light through complaints raised at the Chief Minister’s public grievance forum, Jan Samvad. Several parents and students from Queen Mary School in Model Town accused the school administration of unfairly demanding fees and expelling students whose parents refused to comply.

Reacting promptly, CM Gupta instructed the Education Department to conduct an immediate inquiry and take stringent action against any school found guilty. She stated, "Parents of children from some schools are constantly meeting me and telling me their problems. It is certain that no school has the right to harass any parent or child, threaten to expel them from school or increase the general fees."

#WATCH | Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta says, "Parents of children from some schools are constantly meeting me and telling me their problems. It is certain that no school has the right to harass any parent or child, threaten to expel them from school or increase the general… pic.twitter.com/nMH9iY0PWv

— ANI (@ANI) April 15, 2025

She emphasized the importance of adhering to established rules and laws, adding, "There are rules and laws for this, which are very important to follow. If any school is found violating this, then it will have to bear the consequences. We have issued notices to all the schools against which we are receiving complaints."

CM Gupta further shared a video of these developments on X (formerly Twitter), reaffirming her government’s firm stance on transparency and accountability in education. In her post, she said, "The Delhi government is fully committed to ensuring transparency, equal opportunities, and the protection of children's rights in the education sector. We follow a zero-tolerance policy against injustice, exploitation, or irregularities — no leniency will be tolerated."