Heated Debate in Assembly Over Private School Fee Regulation Bill
New Delhi: The Delhi Legislative Assembly on Tuesday witnessed intense deliberations over the Delhi School Education (Transparency in Fixation and Regulation of Fees) Bill, 2025, with the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) demanding its referral to a select committee for detailed review. The bill, introduced by the Delhi government a day earlier, seeks to establish a structured and transparent framework to regulate fee hikes in private schools across the capital.
Education Minister Ashish Sood, presenting the bill, said that the primary objective was to put in place a robust institutional mechanism that includes the voices of parents, teachers, and school management. “Transparency and accountability are the cornerstones of this bill. We are open to dialogue on any provisions,” he assured.
While the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) extended its support, describing the bill as a much-needed step to curb arbitrary fee hikes, AAP voiced strong concerns about the potential loopholes. Leader of the Opposition Atishi criticized the proposed legislation, claiming that it could provide a legal basis for unjustified fee increases. “It is crucial that we address the concerns of parents. We’ve submitted amendments based on their feedback, which will be put to vote tomorrow,” she said.
Key Concerns Raised by AAP
AAP MLA Prem Chauhan (Deoli) highlighted several problematic aspects of the bill. He argued that the legislation empowers school management committees to determine fee structures without requiring mandatory financial audits. “This undermines transparency and leaves room for misuse. Furthermore, the bill makes it unnecessarily difficult for parents to raise concerns, as even lodging a complaint requires the backing of 15% of parents — an unrealistic barrier,” he said.
Another major concern from AAP legislators was the lack of majority representation for parents in the proposed fee regulation committees. “Without adequate representation, parents will continue to be sidelined. The current draft offers no real empowerment,” Chauhan added. Several AAP members demanded that the bill be reviewed in detail by a select committee before being passed into law.
BJP Defends the Reforms
On the other hand, BJP MLA Satish Upadhyay (Malviya Nagar) strongly defended the bill. He said that for years, parents have been burdened with unjustified charges under various pretexts. “This bill will finally offer them a voice in fee regulation. Unlike previous regimes that focused more on publicity than policy, this reform is concrete and actionable,” Upadhyay said. He welcomed the inclusion of parents in the regulation committees as a long-overdue corrective measure.
Assembly Speaker to Present Amendments
Amid rising tensions during the debate, Assembly Speaker Vijender Gupta intervened to maintain order and confirmed that all proposed amendments would be tabled on Wednesday. Voting on the final draft of the bill is expected to follow. “We must ensure that every member’s voice is heard before moving forward,” he stated.
Other Local Issues Discussed
While the fee regulation bill dominated proceedings, the Assembly also addressed several local issues. Atishi raised the ongoing demolition of slums in various parts of Delhi, accusing the BJP of misleading residents with unfulfilled promises of resettlement. “People are being displaced without alternative housing. This is a humanitarian crisis,” she said.
बीजेपी और शिक्षा माफिया की सांठगांठ के खिलाफ AAP का संघर्ष, सदन से सड़क तक‼️
BJP सरकार द्वारा लाए गए शिक्षा माफिया के हित में बने School Fee Bill के ख़िलाफ़ आवाज़ बुलंद करते अभिभावकों से आज AAP दिल्ली प्रदेश संयोजक @Saurabh_MLAgk जी ने संवाद किया।
👉ये बिल स्कूल मालिकों को खुली… pic.twitter.com/goMPZj8fzR
— Aam Aadmi Party Delhi (@AAPDelhi) August 5, 2025
Deputy Speaker Mohan Singh Bisht flagged the long-standing issue of a hospital building in Shiv Vihar, Mustafabad, which remains unrepaired after sustaining damage during the 2020 riots. “With a population of over 5 lakh in the area, it is unacceptable that the region still lacks a functioning hospital,” he said. The health minister responded by assuring prompt attention to the matter.
Additionally, MLAs raised concerns about waterlogging and poor drainage in Kirari, the need for community dog control measures, and delays in disbursing pensions to Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) employees. Meanwhile, a planned discussion on the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) reports was postponed to Wednesday.
As the Assembly prepares to vote on the school fee regulation bill, all eyes remain on whether AAP’s demand for a deeper review will gain traction or if the bill will be passed in its current form, marking a significant policy shift in Delhi’s education landscape.
