The Supreme Court has offered temporary relief to the Delhi government in the ongoing legal battle over its notification aimed at regulating fees in private schools. The court observed that immediate judicial intervention was not required after the Delhi government clarified that the proposed fee-determination mechanism would not be enforced during the current academic year.
The matter was heard by Justice PS Narasimha, who noted that the court’s earlier concern was primarily related to the speed with which the notification was introduced, rather than its underlying objective. Additional Solicitor General SV Raju informed the bench that the December notification was issued only to facilitate the formation of a fee-determination committee and was not intended to impact existing fee structures for the ongoing session.
Taking the government’s assurance on record, the Supreme Court concluded that there was no urgency warranting further proceedings at this stage. However, the bench made it clear that all legal issues surrounding the notification remain open and can still be examined by the Delhi High Court.
The dispute began after private schools challenged the Delhi government’s move to form fee-determination committees comprising school management representatives, government officials, and parents. The schools argued that such committees could interfere with their financial autonomy and internal administration.
Earlier, the Delhi High Court had declined to stay the notification, prompting private schools to approach the Supreme Court. With the apex court now stepping back, the matter is likely to return to the High Court for further consideration.
The issue is closely tied to Delhi’s broader school fee control framework, which seeks to prevent arbitrary fee hikes and increase transparency. While parent groups have welcomed greater oversight and participation, private schools maintain that existing laws already regulate fees and that additional mechanisms may lead to overregulation.
For now, while the new system will not apply this academic year, the larger debate over private school fee regulation and accountability in Delhi remains unresolved.
