Delhi panel gives report to HC on school fees hike

A committee set up to examine the accounts of private schools allegedly charging high tuition fees on Thursday submitted its interim report to the Delhi High Court.

The Justice Anil Dev Singh Committee was constituted about a year ago to submit its report on the determination of fees in the unaided schools of Delhi.

A special bench of Acting Chief Justice AK Sikri and Justice Siddharth Mirdul would hear the case on Friday.

The bench on July 20 directed the committee to submit a report on the fee hike in unaided private schools in Delhi.

After the implementation of the Sixth Pay Commission, the schools had increased the fees. The court then gave direction for setting up a committee to audit the accounts of each of the schools to ascertain if the hike was required.

The bench authorised the committee to scrutinise the accounts of minority institutions as well.

Delhi has a total of 1,200 unaided schools recognised by the government.

Advocate Ashok Agarwal, appearing for parents, earlier said that if the report was submitted, “it would be of great relief to the exploited parents, as they would be entitled to refund of the excess fee recovered from them by the respective schools”.