New Delhi: The Delhi Government has informed the Supreme Court that the Delhi School Education (Transparency in Fixation and Regulation of Fees) Act, 2025
will be implemented from the 2026–27 academic session, and not in the ongoing 2025–26 session. The assurance was made before the top court during the hearing of a batch of petitions filed by private school managements challenging the Delhi High Court’s refusal to stay the implementation of the Act.
Taking note of the Delhi Government’s submission, the Supreme Court on Tuesday recorded that the new fee regulation law would not be enforced for the current academic year, effectively disposing of the matter at this stage while keeping all substantive legal questions open for adjudication before the Delhi High Court.
The submission was made by Additional Solicitor General S V Raju appearing for the Delhi Government who informed the Court that although the Act was notified in December 2025, it would not be implemented during the 2025–26 academic session. The Bench comprising Justice PS Narasimha and Justice Alok Aradhe.
‘In view of the clarification of Mr ASG Raju and the learned counsel for the authority Director of Education that the legal regime will not be implemented with effect from 2025-26, no further orders are required. All questions are kept open for being raised before the High Court,’ the bench noted.
Law notified in December 2025
The Delhi School Education (Transparency in Fixing and Regulation of Fees) Act, 2025 was notified in December last year to introduce a comprehensive statutory framework governing fee fixation and fee hikes by private unaided schools.
Last month, SC had expressed concern over the government’s attempt to enforce the law mid-session, describing the decision as ‘unviable,’ after acknowledging that private school fees in Delhi had reached exorbitant levels. Earlier, on January 19, the court had specifically asked the Delhi govt to consider deferring implementation until April 2026.
Earlier fee regulations applied to only 300 schools
Under the existing regulatory framework of the Delhi School Education Act, 1973, fee regulation applied to only about 300 private schools. The new Act significantly expands the scope of regulation which brings all 1,700 private unaided schools in Delhi under a uniform fee regulation framework.
Key provisions of Delhi School Fees Act, 2025
The Act lays down strict rules governing fee hikes by private schools-
- Schools cannot increase fees without prior government approval
- Penalties for unauthorised fee hikes range from Rs 1 lakh to Rs. 5 lakh for first-time violations
- Repeat offences may attract fines of up to Rs 10 lakh
- If excess fees are not refunded within the prescribed timeline:
- Penalties double after 20 days
- Triple after 40 days
- Continue escalating with further delay
- Repeat offenders may lose the right to propose future fee hikes
- School management members may also be barred from holding management positions
Multi-level committee system for fee fixation
- School-level committees must decide on fee proposals by July 15
- District-level reviews must be completed by July 30
- Final decisions are to be taken by September
- If no resolution is reached within 45 days, the issue is referred to an appellate committee
