The Supreme Court on Thursday, May 29, issued notice to Directorate of Education (DoE) Delhi government and Action Committee Unaided Recognised Private Schools and sought their replies, after hearing an appeal filed — by a Parent's Association — challenging the Delhi High Court's order allowing private schools on government land to increase tuition fees without prior approval of DoE.
A two-judge vacation bench of the apex court, led by Chief Justice of India BR Gavai and Justice Augustine George Masih asked DoE and a school body, to file their respective replies, after hearing the plea filed by Naya Samaj Parents Association.
The petition challenged two orders of the High Court passed in April 2024 by which it allowed private schools on government land to increase tuition fees without prior approval, according to the report by The New Indian Express.
The parents association — which moved the top court — alleged that now private unaided schools in Delhi have also increased fees multifold mostly by up to 100 per cent and taking penal actions against students, causing confusion and panic in the Delhi education.
The Parents Association also sought stay of the High Court orders, besides others.
The petitioner sought a direction from the top court to set aside the paragraph of the HC order in which it said private school situated at the government land are not bound to take prior permission from DoE before hiking tuition fee.
The plea of the Parents Association alleged that the April 2024 orders of the High Court are against the previous directions of division bench of High Court and the Supreme Court.
"By setting aside this paragraph, clarity and consistency may be maintained in the application of fee hike regulations for schools on government land," the petition stated.
