Fee hike: Private schools in Delhi will have to seek government’s nod

Delhi High Court on Wednesday rejected a plea by school associations to review its judgement on fee hikes. On January 19, the court had upheld powers of the Delhi government’s Department of Education (DoE) to “interfere” if the fee hike by certain private schools was found to be excessive. Private schools that had received land at concessional rates from Delhi Development Authority (DDA) can hike their fees by up to ten percent in emergency cases, but even such proposals will be scrutinised by the DoE.

Delhi Deputy Chief Minister and Education Minister Manish Sisodia declared the court’s decision a “victory of Delhi government”. In a press statement, Sisodia said, “Delhi High Court’s judgement will boost Delhi government’s attempts to make private schools transparent and more answerable to the common man.”

Meanwhile, in order to check arbitrary fee hikes, the government has roped in a private accounting firm, Ernst and Young Foundation, to investigate the accounts of schools that have submitted proposals to the DoE. The report will be submitted to the Delhi government in the second week of August. So far, the DoE has received 97 proposals.