The Delhi assembly on 8 August, Friday, passed the School Fee Regulation Bill, 2025, claims to grant ‘veto power’ to parents on decisions regarding fee hikes, ensuring that school managements cannot unilaterally impose fee increases.

Delhi education minister Ashish Sood said in the assembly, “If even a single parent member disagrees, the proposal for fee hike will not be approved. They will have veto power, and the management cannot impose its decision unilaterally.” (This comment seems to refer not to the powers of the entire parent body, but to specifically the parent representatives in the school-level committee instituted per the new Bill — more on which below; but the Bill does not actually specify any veto power or refer to a single parent’s objections in any respect.)

During the four-hour discussion on the Bill and the voting on it thereafter, 41 members from the ruling BJP and 17 lawmakers from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) were present in the Assembly.

Fines for fee hikes, if ‘arbitrary’

According to the provisions of the Delhi School Education Transparency in Fixation and Regulation of Fees Bill, 2025, schools found arbitrarily hiking fees could face penalties ranging from fines to losing their right to propose fee revisions in the future.

The Bill lays out that if a school charges fees beyond the permitted limit, it must refund the excess amount within 20 working days. Failing to do so will invite escalating penalties — double the fine after 20 days, triple after 40 days, and continuing to increase accordingly for every further 20-day delay.

According to the Bill, a first-time violation will attract a fine between Rs 1 lakh and Rs 5 lakh. Repeat offences will lead to penalties ranging from Rs 2 lakh to Rs 10 lakh.

Persistent violators may also be barred from holding official posts in the school management.

Hierarchy of committees also empowers parents at every level

The Bill also mandates the formation of three committees to oversee the fee regulation process — one each at the school level, district level and a higher-level Revision Committee, which will act as the final authority in fee-related disputes.

Each private unaided school (whether following an Indian or an international curriculum); minority-run school; and any school allocated government land at concessional rates will also be required to establish a School Level Fee Regulation Committee by 15 July of every academic year, under the bill.