"BJP, private schools are in cahoots": AAP's Atishi slams Delhi govt's bill to regulate private school fees

New Delhi [India], August 4 (ANI): Delhi Leader of Opposition and former Chief Minister Atishi on Monday slammed the BJP-led government's bill to regulate private school fees, the 'Delhi School Education (Fee Determination and Regulation Transparency) Bill', calling it a "fraud" designed to benefit private school owners.
According to Atishi, the bill aims to legitimise unbridled fee hikes by putting a government stamp on them. She alleged that the BJP is working with private schools to increase fees and protect their interests.
Speaking to ANI, Atishi said, "The bill that has been presented in the Delhi Assembly is a fraud. It is to save the private school owners. It is a bill to put a government stamp on their unbridled increase in fees. The bill was to be presented in April, and it is August now... Private schools intimidated and threatened the parents with the fees. Why is the bill being brought now? The BJP and the private schools are in cahoots and want to take increased fees from parents and put a legal stamp on it."
AAP plans to protest against the bill and raise awareness about its implications. The party will challenge the bill in court, arguing that it favours private schools over parents' interests.
"We will take it to the streets. We will go to the court. We will also raise this issue in the Parliament because the parents in Delhi are very upset with the increased fees. They are seeing that the BJP is in collusion with the private school owners," she added.
Delhi Education Minister Ashish Sood on Monday presented the historic "Delhi School Education (Fee Determination and Regulation Transparency) Bill, 2025" in the Delhi Assembly. In his statement, the minister said.
"Today, I have come here with a permanent solution to the problems faced by millions of parents and children in Delhi, and to a legacy issue that has been ignored for decades." He stated that education is "a sacred duty -- a duty we must fulfil for the progress and prosperity of our motherland." He emphasised that the aim of education should not be 'earning', but rather 'learning' and nation-building.
The minister said, "This bill is a small effort on our part to honour Dr Mukherjee's vision and to ensure that education does not become a burden on the people of India, but instead becomes a path leading them to a better future."
Giving historical references, he discussed how the central government has resolved long-standing legacy issues over the decades, such as the Ram Mandir, Chenab Bridge, Article 370, and the electrification of every village.
He stated that the Delhi government is now also "focused on resolving the capital's old and complex issues, one of the most important legacy issues being the continuously rising fees of private schools."
The minister clarified, "This is not a recent problem, but a question that has troubled Delhi's parents for many decades." He mentioned the declining quality of the government education system over the past years, the significant shortage of schools, and how increasing private school fees have caused financial and mental difficulties for parents.
Taking a jibe at previous governments, he said, "Earlier governments repeatedly issued only namesake orders -- but they either feared or colluded with education mafias... There were neither audits nor records; everything was run on an ad-hoc basis."
He stated that during its tenure, the AAP government built only 20 new schools, while approvals for other schools were granted during previous administrations.
Key Provisions of the Bill include its application to all private unaided recognised schools in Delhi.
Every school must submit its proposed fees for three years in advance; revision is permitted only once in three years.
There will be a three-tier regulation and appeal committee system -- at the school, district, and state levels.
Criteria for fee determination: infrastructure, staff salaries, annual increases, but mandatory prevention of profiteering.
All schools must publicly disclose financial records and proposed fees.
Unlawful fee hikes will attract fines between Rs 100,000 and Rs 1,000,000; repeated offences will double or triple the penalty. Expelling or humiliating a student for this - Rs 50,000 per student.
Repeated violations may result in cancellation of the school's recognition or even government takeover.
If a dispute is pending, the school can only collect fees at the previous year's rate.
The minister stated, "This Bill not only creates a transparent and accountable system but also safeguards the interests of children, parents, and schools -- all stakeholders."
Finally, "This bill is truly a bottom-up approach, giving parents a role in the decision-making process for the first time--'Government of the people, by the people, for the people.'" (ANI)