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New in the New Year | Delhi law to cap school fees kicks in — what schools and parents can expect

As schools begin to draw up budgets for the 2026 academic year, there is scepticism over the way the law will work, and whether regulation on paper will translate into relief in reality.

5 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Dec 24, 2025 09:46 AM IST

An observer appointed by the Delhi Education Department will provide independent oversight. (Representational image)

The notification of the Delhi School Education (Transparency in Fixation and Regulation of Fees) Act, 2025, this month has been seen as a step towards addressing long-standing concerns over the cost of education in the capital’s private schools.

Increases in fees, often announced suddenly and explained inadequately, have provoked litigation and street protests by parents. The new law brings more than 1,500 private unaided schools into a three-tier framework of regulation of fees, and promises parents a seat at the table.

And yet, as schools begin to draw up budgets for the next academic year, there is scepticism over the way the law will work, and whether regulation on paper will translate into relief in reality.

Alka Kapur, Principal of Modern Public School in Shalimar Bagh, said the law does not mean schools can no longer raise fees, only that they must now justify the increases.

“Receipts and payments have to match. If we are able to justify the expenditure, we have to mindfully increase fees, keeping infrastructure, teachers, and students in mind, because nothing comes for free,” Kapur said.

Kapur, who is preparing audited income-expenditure statements and a three-year budget projection, said schools often have little control over rising costs.

“With NEP (the National Education Policy, 2020) coming in, there is a drastic change in infrastructure requirements,” she said. “Skill labs are mandatory now. Setting up a lab needs huge expenditure. Balvatika (the play-based holistic learning initiative under the NEP) has come in. Safety and security [of children] are humongous expenses.”

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Kapur said there would “certainly be a change in the fee structure”, but “it should not pinch parents’ pockets”. “Both sides have to be justified,” she said.

The Act requires every school to constitute a School-level Fee Regulation Committee (SLFRC) with five parent representatives selected through a video-recorded draw of lots, three teachers, a management nominee as chairperson, and the principal as member secretary. An observer appointed by the Delhi Education Department will provide independent oversight.

If there is “mutual trust and a genuine amount [of fees] is increased, there should not be a problem,” Kapur said.

Other principals are not that sanguine.

“To plan something for three years in advance is very difficult,” the principal of a private school in South Delhi said. “Where technology will go, what will suddenly become mandatory… nobody knew air purifiers would become a necessity,” she said.

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Her school has almost 100 sections, and unforeseen expenses have historically been absorbed through incremental fee hikes. The new system could lead to friction with parents who may not be able to see the big picture, this principal said.

“Parents are ambitious, but not all understand the requirements,” she said. “They will say, ‘My child doesn’t use this facility, why should I pay?’”

Principal Sudha Acharya of ITL Public School in Dwarka said her school was still waiting for “clear instructions” from the government. “There is still time and there is nothing to worry about,” she said.

For several parents, the Act’s biggest promise lies in its seeming transparency, and the biggest risk in how that transparency is enforced.

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Divya Mattey, a parent at Delhi Public School, Dwarka, said the law has given parents the right to ask questions. “Why am I paying Rs 15,000 or 16,000? What additional facilities am I getting?” Mattey said, pointing to another school which he said runs on a similar model but charges less than half.

“If a school buys a Rs 50-lakh bus and I don’t use transport, I should not be paying for it,” he said. “This rule gives parents the opportunity to raise their voice, which was not possible earlier.”

Mattey said he hoped the clear definition of fee heads in the Act, and the ban on transferring fee money to societies or capital assets, would curb what many parents feel amounts to profiteering.

“There is hope that children will not be harassed like they are now,” he said, referring to incidents where students were allegedly barred from class or stopped from attending school over unpaid increases.

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“The question,” Mattey said, “is whether these powers will actually be exercised.”

Aparajita Gautam, president of the Delhi Parents Association, said she expected “no change”. Parent-Teacher Associations “in 99% of schools” were “bogus”, she alleged. “There are no fair elections. Parents are chosen [by the school].”

Under the new law, the SLFRC is to be facilitated by the PTA, Gautam pointed out. “If the PTA itself is controlled by management, then who are these parents who will come into the fee committee?” she said.

Vidheesha Kuntamalla

Vidheesha Kuntamalla is a Senior Correspondent at The Indian Express, based in New Delhi. She is known for her investigative reporting on higher education policy, international student immigration, and academic freedom on university campuses. Her work consistently connects policy decisions with lived realities, foregrounding how administrative actions, political pressure, and global shifts affect students, faculty, and institutions. Professional Profile Core Beat: Vidheesha covers education in Delhi and nationally, reporting on major public institutions including the University of Delhi (DU), Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Jamia Millia Islamia, the IITs, and the IIMs. She also reports extensively on private and government schools in the National Capital Region. Prior to joining The Indian Express, she worked as a freelance journalist in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh for over a year, covering politics, rural issues, women-centric issues, and social justice. Specialisation: She has developed a strong niche in reporting on the Indian student diaspora, particularly the challenges faced by Indian students and H-1B holders in the United States. Her work examines how geopolitical shifts, immigration policy changes, and campus politics impact global education mobility. She has also reported widely on: * Mental health crises and student suicides at IITs * Policy responses to campus mental health * Academic freedom and institutional clampdowns at JNU, South Asian University (SAU), and Delhi University * Curriculum and syllabus changes under the National Education Policy Her recent reporting has included deeply reported human stories on policy changes during the Trump administration and their consequences for Indian students and researchers in the US. Reporting Style Vidheesha is recognised for a human-centric approach to policy reporting, combining investigative depth with intimate storytelling. Her work often highlights the anxieties of students and faculty navigating bureaucratic uncertainty, legal precarity, and institutional pressure. She regularly works with court records, internal documents, official data, and disciplinary frameworks to expose structural challenges to academic freedom. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2024 & 2025) 1. Express Investigation Series JNU’s fault lines move from campus to court: University fights students and faculty (November 2025) An Indian Express investigation found that since 2011, JNU has appeared in over 600 cases before the Delhi High Court, filed by the administration, faculty, staff, students, and contractual workers across the tenures of three Vice-Chancellors. JNU’s legal wars with students and faculty pile up under 3 V-Cs | Rs 30-lakh fines chill campus dissent (November 2025) The report traced how steep monetary penalties — now codified in the Chief Proctor’s Office Manual — are reshaping dissent and disciplinary action on campus. 2. International Education & Immigration ‘Free for a day. Then came ICE’: Acquitted after 43 years, Indian-origin man faces deportation — to a country he has never known (October 2025) H-1B $100,000 entry fee explained: Who pays, who’s exempt, and what’s still unclear? (September 2025) Khammam to Dallas, Jhansi to Seattle — audacious journeys in pursuit of the American dream after H-1B visa fee hike (September 2025) What a proposed 15% cap on foreign admissions in the US could mean for Indian students (October 2025) Anxiety on campus after Trump says visas of pro-Palestinian protesters will be cancelled (January 2025) ‘I couldn’t believe it’: F-1 status of some Indian students restored after US reverses abrupt visa terminations (April 2025) 3. Academic Freedom & Policy Exclusive: South Asian University fires professor for ‘inciting students’ during stipend protests (September 2025) Exclusive: Ministry seeks explanation from JNU V-C for skipping Centre’s meet, views absence ‘seriously’ (July 2025) SAU rows after Noam Chomsky mentions PM Modi, Lankan scholar resigns, PhD student exits SAU A series of five stories examining shrinking academic freedom at South Asian University after global scholar Noam Chomsky referenced Prime Minister Narendra Modi during an academic interaction, triggering administrative unease and renewed debate over political speech, surveillance, and institutional autonomy on Indian campuses. 4. Mental Health on Campuses In post-pandemic years, counselling rooms at IITs are busier than ever; IIT-wise data shows why (August 2025) Campus suicides: IIT-Delhi panel flags toxic competition, caste bias, burnout (April 2025) 5. Delhi Schools These Delhi government school grads are now success stories. Here’s what worked — and what didn’t (February 2025) ‘Ma’am… may I share something?’ Growing up online and alone, why Delhi’s teens are reaching out (December 2025) ... Read More

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