Delhi High Court Grants Extension for School Fee Committee Formation
The Delhi High Court has issued a significant directive to the Delhi government, instructing authorities not to compel private schools to establish School-Level Fee Regulation Committees (SLFRCs) until February 20. This order effectively extends the original deadline of February 10 that was stipulated under the newly enacted Delhi School Education (Transparency in Fixation and Regulation of Fees) Act.
Court's Rationale and Government's Position
A division bench comprising Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela delivered the ruling on Monday, reasoning that "no prejudice would be caused" by deferring the formation of these committees. The court specifically noted that this extension would not adversely affect the timeline for fee fixation for the upcoming 2026-2027 academic year.
Additional Solicitor General S V Raju, representing the Delhi government, presented contrasting arguments before the bench. He informed the court that approximately 80-90 percent of schools have already constituted their SLFRCs. Raju further contended that any additional extension would disrupt and potentially delay the entire fee determination process for the next academic cycle.
Background of the Fee Regulation Law
The Delhi School Education (Transparency in Fixation and Regulation of Fees) Act officially came into force on December 10 last year. Subsequently, on February 1, the Delhi government issued a clarifying notification stating that the new legislation would be implemented starting from the next academic year.
Through this gazette notification, the government had mandated that all private schools must establish their SLFRCs within ten days of the notification's issuance. Importantly, the decisions made by these committees will not impact the fee structures for the current 2025-26 academic year.
Legal Challenges and Future Proceedings
The High Court's directive came in response to petitions filed by several school associations challenging the February 1 notification. The court has officially issued notices to the Delhi government regarding these pleas.
In its detailed reasoning, the bench emphasized that granting additional time for committee formation would not cause prejudice to either party involved in the dispute. The matter has been scheduled for further hearing on February 20, when the court will revisit the issue and potentially provide additional guidance or rulings.
This development represents a temporary reprieve for schools that have not yet complied with the committee formation requirement, while also setting the stage for continued legal examination of the government's fee regulation framework.
