Flaws and legal gray fields
The problem is buried under bureaucracy and legal ambiguity.
According to Delhi School Education Act and Rules, 1973, schools on government-all lands should take approval from the Directorate of Education (DOE) before hiking. But only 335 out of 1,677 Private schools in Delhi fall under this mandate.
Remanent 80% Work on unauthorized or freehold land – and are essentially left irregular.
In 2018, the Delhi High Court ruled that DOE approval is not mandatory unless schools are making profits – a subjective benchmark that exploits many.
“Oversite” that never worked
Delhi’s fees were to address the discrepancy committees, compulsory by the court, to address these many complaints.
They remain largely passive – a formality on paper, ineffective in behavior.
Even new promises look like Déjà Vu. Minister Sood announced that the government will now publish the school-wise fee increase data and allow parents to report violations via email.
But this is very low, it is too late.
