HC extends deadline for schools to form fee panels till Feb 20

The Delhi High Court on Monday extended till February 20 the deadline for private schools to constitute school-level fee regulation committees (SLFRCs) , granting interim relief to several school associations that have challenged a recent notification issued by the Delhi government .

A bench of Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia said no prejudice would be caused if the government did not insist on the formation of the committees till the next date of hearing. The court was hearing petitions challenging the February 1 gazette notification , which directed private schools to constitute SLFRCs within 10 days.

“We find that in case the GNCTD does not insist on the formation of the SLFRC, no prejudice is going to be caused to either side or to the timeline for fixation of fees for the academic session 2026–27 ,” the bench observed, while issuing notice to the government.

Accordingly, the court directed that till February 20, schools that have not constituted the committees shall not be compelled to do so.

The February 1 notification was issued to “smoothen” the implementation of the Delhi School Education (Transparency in Fixation and Regulation of Fees) Act, 2025 , after the Supreme Court raised concerns over the new fee regulation framework. Under the notification, schools were required to form the SLFRC within 10 days and submit proposed fee structures for the next block of three academic years starting 2026–27 within 14 days thereafter.

Appearing for the Delhi government, Additional Solicitor General S V Raju argued that extending the deadline beyond February 10 would disrupt the fee fixation schedule, which has to be completed by March 27 for the upcoming academic year. He outlined a tight timeline involving submission of proposed fees by February 25 and constitution of an appellate committee by March 3.

However, the bench noted that an earlier extension granted on January 8 was prior to the February 1 notification and that the circumstances had since changed.

The petitions were filed by the Forum of Minority Schools , the Forum for Promotion of Quality Education For All, and the Action Committee of Unaided Recognised Private Schools. The Forum of Minority Schools contended that under the Act, SLFRCs are required to be constituted on or before July 15 of each academic year and that advancing this deadline through a notification, without amending the law, was arbitrary.

Under the Act, every private school must constitute an SLFRC comprising representatives of school management, the principal, teachers, parents and a nominee from the Department of Education , with members selected through a lottery system to ensure transparency.

Several petitions challenging the new fee regulation law are pending before the high court.