Page 42 - EW-June-2025

Cover Story

Fees regulation legislation in major Indian states

nder the Constitution, education is a Concurrent List at every level of the decision-making process.
Usubject with the Centre and states entitled to enact Goa. The Goa School Education Act, 1984 requires private
legislation on this subject. Availing this provision almost all unaided schools to submit fee structures to the Director of
28 states of the Indian Union have enacted legislation to Education for approval before start of every academic year.
regulate private school tuition fees. Gujarat. The Gujarat Self-Financed Schools (Regulation of
Andhra Pradesh. Under the Andhra Pradesh Educational Insti- Fees) Act, 2017 mandates annual fee ceiling for primary
tutions (Regulation of Admission and Prohibition of Capita- (Rs.15,000), secondary (Rs.25,000) and higher secondary
tion Fee) Act 1983, the state government is authorised to (Rs.27,000) private schools. All schools proposing to levy
establish a District Fee Regulatory Committee (DFRC) to higher fees must submit their proposals to a government
approve the fees of private unaided schools in all districts. Fee Regulatory Committee (FRC) for approval.
Arunachal Pradesh. The Arunachal Pradesh Education Act, Haryana. The Haryana School Education (Amendment)
2010 empowers the state government to determine and Rules, 2022, permits annual fee increases based on the
regulate fees charged by private aided and unaided schools. average percentage increase of teachers’ salaries and the
Assam. The Assam Non-Government Educational Institutions Consumer Price Index (CPI).
(Regulation of Fees) Act, 2018 mandates establishment of Himachal Pradesh. The Himachal Pradesh Private Education-
Fee Regulatory Committees to determine and approve fee al Institutions (Regulation) Act, 1997 mandates all private
structures of private schools for three years. schools to disclose fees payable when greenfield schools
Bihar. The Bihar Private Schools (Fee Regulation) Act, 2019, are established. The state government is invested with the
permits private schools to increase fees by a maximum of authority to issue directions regarding the management of
7 percent annually. Any increase beyond 7 percent requires private education institutions, including fees chargeable.
prior approval from the state’s Fee Regulatory Committee Jammu & Kashmir. The Jammu and Kashmir School Educa-
(FRC). tion Act, 2002, mandates appointment of a Committee for
Chhattisgarh. The Chhattisgarh Private School Fee Regula- Fixation and Regulation of Fee (FFRC) to determine and
tion Act, 2020 permits private schools to increase fees by regulate the fees of private schools.
a maximum of 8 percent annually. School-level Fee Com- Jharkhand. The Jharkhand Education Tribunal (Amendment)
mittees and District Fee Regulatory Committees adjudicate Act, 2017 mandates the formation of fee fixation commit-
increases. tees at the school and district levels. Proposed fee hikes
Delhi. Fee increases are governed by the Delhi School Edu- above 10 percent require prior approval from the district
cation Act and Rules, 1973. However, on April 30, 2025, the committee.
ruling BJP government of Delhi state approved a new Delhi Karnataka. The Karnataka Education Act, 1983, empow-
School Education (Transparency in Fixation and Regulation ers the state government to determine fees chargeable by
of Fees) Bill, 2025, which proposes parents’ representation private schools. In 2023, the Karnataka High Court struck

three years, significantly outpacing commodification of education contin-
the growth of middle-class incomes. ues unchecked, placing an unsustain-
For instance, in Delhi, the annual tu- able financial burden on families and
ition fee at Delhi Public School, Vas- threatening the principle of equitable
ant Kunj increased from Rs.90,000 in access to quality education,” says
2019–20 to Rs.1.7 lakh in 2024–25. Samina Bano, Founder and CEO of
In Tier 1 and 2 cities, annual fees of RightWalk Foundation, a Delhi-based
reputable private schools now range NGO.
between Rs.1 lakh and Rs.4 lakh, while Nevertheless the situation is not
in Tier 3 and 4 cities, they range be- all gloom and doom for edupreneurs
tween Rs.50,000 and Rs.2 lakh. This who have invested savings, time and
trend underscores urgent need for sustained effort to nurture education
regulation of private schools — not to institutions inherited or promoted by
undermine their autonomy, but to en- them to develop the country’s huge,
sure that their managements adhere high-potential human resource.
to their legal obligation of operating Some state governments aware of the
as non-profit, charitable organiza- pathetic condition of historically ne-
tions. Without effective oversight, the Bano: unsustainable financial burden glected public schools have negotiated

42 EDUCATIONWORLD JUNE 2025