Every year, as the academic session turns the corner, a familiar storm brews in Delhi’s education landscape: the arbitrary hike in school fees by private institutions. This phenomenon, recurring most often in March and April, has evolved into what may aptly be called a “seasonal disease”—predictable yet largely unchecked. With parents protesting, politicians promising action, and school authorities offering vague justifications, the cycle continues with little structural reform. The 2025 fee hike outcry epitomizes this chronic malaise.
The Recurring Pattern of Fee Hikes
Private schools in Delhi—particularly those offering elite or English-medium education—have long been accused of increasing fees disproportionately, without due consultation or transparency. A report by the Delhi Education Department in 2022 revealed that more than 60% of private schools had hiked their fees without prior approval, often citing ambiguous reasons such as “infrastructure upgrades” or “salary adjustments.” In 2022–23 alone, average fee hikes ranged from 25% to 40%, followed by an increase of 30% in 2023–24 and an expected 18% in 2024–25. For middle-class families, these compounded hikes have translated into an annual financial burden exceeding ₹50,000 in many cases.
The 2025 protest by parents of students from Queen Mary’s School in Model Town mirrors the broader discontent. Accusations include not only unfair fee hikes but also penalties for non-compliance—such as barring students from classes or even expelling them. As one parent remarked, “There’s no transparency, no justification. The fee hike seems like an annual ritual.”
A Policy Failure in Transparency and Regulation
Delhi’s education policy does require private schools to seek approval from the Directorate of Education (DoE) before raising fees. However, poor enforcement, bureaucratic loopholes, and weak political will have rendered these guidelines largely toothless. While the Fee Regulation Act mandates that schools provide audited financial records and obtain clearance from a committee, fewer than 30% of schools fully comply with this process. Many submit unverified expenditure reports or conceal income from donations and auxiliary services to justify fee increases.
The recent announcement by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta to crack down on such practices—promising “swift and strict action”—is the latest in a long line of political assurances. She emphasized that “no school has the right to increase fees without due process” and ordered a citywide inquiry. But similar promises were made in 2018 and 2021, with little follow-through. Notably, the DoE’s fee audit committee remains underfunded and understaffed, often taking months to process even a single school’s report.
Parental Backlash and Civil Mobilization
Organizations like the Delhi Parents Association have been instrumental in bringing attention to the issue. Aparajita Gautam, president of the association, remarked, “The grievance redressal mechanism is slow and ineffective. Schools operate with immense impunity, using fee hikes to cover costs unrelated to student welfare.” A 2023 survey by Local Circles found that 78% of parents in Delhi felt they had “no meaningful say” in their children’s school fee structure, and 64% believed the hikes were unjustified.
The sentiment isn’t isolated. Fee protests have gained traction across India—from Bengaluru to Mumbai. Yet Delhi’s case is particularly severe due to its high concentration of private unaided schools, which educate nearly 40% of the capital’s school-going children.
Structural Reform
What makes this seasonal outbreak of fee hikes particularly dangerous is the absence of a long-term policy vaccine. While states like Gujarat and Maharashtra have implemented stringent fee regulation laws with caps and oversight committees, Delhi has largely relied on executive orders. Former Education Minister Atishi Marlena initiated reforms during the AAP regime, including attempts to digitize fee submissions and create parent-teacher councils. However, most of these measures failed to become institutionalized law.
CM Gupta’s plan to collect audit reports from over 1,677 schools and publish them on the DoE’s website could be a game changer—if implemented sincerely. Transparent digital audits, penalties for non-compliance, and empowered parent bodies must become part of any serious reform agenda. Furthermore, policymakers must consider linking fee hikes to measurable improvements in learning outcomes, infrastructure development, and teacher remuneration—not arbitrary budgeting.
Time for a Systemic Cure
Arbitrary school fee hikes in Delhi are not merely an economic burden—they reflect a deeper crisis in educational governance. For a city that prides itself on being the capital of a rising nation, the inability to regulate such a vital sector undermines public trust. The seasonal outcry must no longer be treated with short-term political antibiotics. What’s needed is a structural vaccine: legislation, accountability, and participation. Until then, the disease will return next April—predictable, painful, and unresolved.