Hans News Service New Delhi

TheDelhi High Court on Friday sought the Delhi government’s stand on pleas by private schools against a Directorate of Education circular to constitute the ‘School Level Fee Regulation Committee’ (SLFRC) in accordance with the latest fee regulation law. The applications form part of the petitions assailing the Delhi School Education (Transparency in Fixation and Regulation of Fees) Act, 2025 on grounds of it being malafide, biased, arbitrary and malicious in nature. A bench of Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia issued notice on applications by the schools and asked the government to file its objections. The counsel for Action Committee Unaided Recognised Private Schools urged the court to protect them from any coercive action by the authorities over failure to constitute the SLFRC. The bench said the main case was listed for hearing on July 20 and the petitioner can approach it if any adverse action is taken in the meantime. “If they precipitate, inform us. Wait till July 20,” the court stated. The counsel for the petitioner submitted that despite the court putting in abeyance the government’s February 1 mandate to private schools to constitute the SLFRC for the ongoing academic session, the authorities issued an “identical” circular on June 30. The circular “reiterates and resurrects” the very same directions to constitute the SLFRC and submit the proposals of fee for a block of three years, including the session 2026-27, the application by Action Committee said.