Delhi School Fees 2026-27: Govt Introduces New Fee Regulation Order

1. What the New Order Says About Fee Committees

Every school in Delhi must establish a School Level Fee Regulation Committee (SLFRC) within 10 days of the publication of the new fee regulation order in the Delhi Gazette. The SLFRC is mandated to review proposed tuition fees and determine approved rates in strict accordance with the provisions of the Delhi School Education Act.

Once the SLFRC is constituted, school managements will have 14 days to submit their proposed fee structures for the upcoming 2026-27 academic session. However, fee regulation committees that were previously set up under the earlier order dated December 24, 2025, will remain valid and operational without requiring re-constitution.

Additionally, the Director of Education has been directed to form a District Fee Appellate Committee (DFAC) in every education district within 30 days of the order. The DFAC will serve as an independent appellate forum to hear and resolve grievances from parents, guardians, or school management dissatisfied with SLFRC fee decisions.

2. Fee Cap Rules and Restrictions on Interim Hikes

Schools cannot charge more than the fee structure charged on April 1, 2025, until their new proposed fee structure receives formal approval under the 2026 framework. Interim hikes or unapproved charges are strictly prohibited while fee determination remains pending before the committees.

If any private school collected excessively high fees during the 2025-26 academic year, administrative and legal action will follow as prescribed by law. Such actions remain subject to the final decisions of cases currently pending before the Delhi High Court and the Supreme Court of India.

Furthermore, if a three-year fee block expires prior to the approval of the next block's structure, schools are restricted to charging only the fee fixed for the final year of the previous block. Any surplus or additional fees collected during this interim gap period must be adjusted against future dues once the official new structure is finalized.

3. Reason Behind the Order and Legal Context

The Delhi government issued this special order using Section 21 of the Act because the primary legislation took effect on December 10, 2025, after being tabled during the monsoon assembly session. Under standard provisions, schools were required to set up SLFRCs by July 15 of each academic year—a deadline that was physically impossible to meet for the 2025-26 cycle given the law's late commencement date.

To overcome this statutory conflict and clear implementation hurdles, the government invoked Section 21 to establish tailored timelines specifically for the three-year block starting in the 2026-27 session.

Officials clarified that the order merely facilitates the smooth execution of the parent law for the upcoming fee cycle. It does not alter, amend, or dilute any substantive section of the existing parent Delhi School Education legislation.

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