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Don’t compel schools to form fee regulation panels till Feb 20: Delhi HC to govt as it extends deadline

After the Delhi School Education (Transparency in Fixation and Regulation of Fees) Act came into force on December 10 last year, the Delhi government on February 1 had issued a notification clarifying that the new law shall be implemented from the next academic year.

delhi schools delhi HCAs per the new law, private schools were given the deadline of February 10 to finalise the SLFRCs. (File)

The High Court on Monday directed the Delhi government to not compel schools till February 20 to form school-level fee regulation committees (SLFRCs) under the new fee fixation law. The court stated that no prejudice would be caused if the formation of the committees was deferred.

As per the new law, private schools were given the deadline of February 10 to finalise the SLFRCs. ASG S V Raju, appearing for the Delhi government, informed a division bench of Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela that nearly 80-90 per cent of schools have already formed the committees, while also submitting before the court that any further extension of time for constitution of SLFRCs will disrupt and delay the entire timeline for fixation of fee for academic year 2026-2027.

After the Delhi School Education (Transparency in Fixation and Regulation of Fees) Act came into force on December 10 last year, the Delhi government on February 1 had issued a notification clarifying that the new law shall be implemented from the next academic year. By way of the gazette notification, the government had stipulated that the SLFRCs have to be constituted within 10 days of the notification, even though its decisions will not affect fees for 2025-26.

The court on Monday issued notice to the Delhi government on pleas by several associations of schools challenging the February 1 notification and reasoned that “no prejudice will be caused to either side, nor will it cause prejudice to the timeline for fixation of fee for academic year 2026-27” if more time is granted for formation of the committees. The matter will be next heard on February 20

Sohini Ghosh is a Senior Correspondent at The Indian Express. Previously based in Ahmedabad covering Gujarat, she recently moved to the New Delhi bureau, where she primarily covers legal developments at the Delhi High Court Professional Profile Background: An alumna of the Asian College of Journalism (ACJ), she previously worked with ET NOW before joining The Indian Express. Core Beats: Her reporting is currently centered on the Delhi High Court, with a focus on high-profile constitutional disputes, disputes over intellectual property, criminal and civil cases, issues of human rights and regulatory law (especially in the areas of technology and healthcare). Earlier Specialty: In Gujarat, she was known for her rigorous coverage in the beats of crime, law and policy, and social justice issues, including the 2002 riot cases, 2008 serial bomb blast case, 2016 flogging of Dalits in Una, among others. She has extensively covered health in the state, including being part of the team that revealed the segregation of wards at the state’s largest government hospital on lines of faith in April 2020. With Ahmedabad being a UNESCO heritage city, she has widely covered urban development and heritage issues, including the redevelopment of the Sabarmati Ashram Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) Her recent reporting from the Delhi High Court covers major political, constitutional, corporate, and public-interest legal battles: High-Profile Case Coverage She has extensively covered the various legal battles - including for compensation under the aegis of North East Delhi Riots Claims Commission - pertaining to the 2020 northeast Delhi riots, as well as 1984 anti-Sikh riots. She has also led coverage at the intersection of technology and governance, and its impact on the citizenry, from, and beyond courtrooms — such as the government’s stakeholder consultations for framing AI-Deepfake policy. Signature Style Sohini is recognized for her sustained reporting from courtrooms and beyond. She specialises in breaking down dense legal arguments to make legalese accessible for readers. Her transition from Gujarat to Delhi has seen her expand her coverage on regulatory, corporate and intellectual property law, while maintaining a strong commitment to human rights and lacuna in the criminal justice system. X (Twitter): @thanda_ghosh ... Read More

 

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