The Delhi High Court has temporarily suspended a directive issued by the Government of Delhi that sought to regulate fee structures in private schools across the national capital.
The government’s order required private unaided schools to establish School-Level Fee Regulation Committees (SLFRCs) and submit proposed fee structures within a prescribed timeline. Several school associations challenged the directive, arguing that the notification imposed impractical deadlines and altered existing regulatory mechanisms without proper statutory support.
A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia observed, at the preliminary stage, that the timelines fixed under the notification appeared difficult to implement. Taking note of these concerns, the Court stayed the operation of the order until further hearing.
As a result of the interim relief, private schools will continue charging the same tuition fees for the upcoming academic year as were charged previously, maintaining the status quo until the legal issues are fully adjudicated.
The matter is now slated for further consideration, where the Court will examine the validity of the government’s directive in detail.