Dehradun, April 18 – District Magistrate Savin Bansal has issued a stern warning to private schools across Dehradun, stating that any violation of prescribed fee standards or exploitation of parents will result in strict action, including the cancellation of school recognition.
In a comprehensive investigation led by the district administration, the fee structure of the past five years in 25 prominent private schools — including Mount Litera, St. Joseph Academy, Gym Pioneer, Summer Valley, Scholars Home, Sant Kabir, Summerfield, Christ, and Chaitanya Techno School — was thoroughly scrutinized.
The inquiry revealed that several schools had arbitrarily increased fees by up to 35%, bypassing the standards laid out by the Right to Education (RTE) Act. However, in some schools, no fee hike was recorded for the academic session 2025–26.
Following strict directives from the District Magistrate, non-compliant schools were instructed to revise their fee structures. As a result, these institutions have now capped their fee hikes at a maximum of 10%, in accordance with the RTE Act.
The DM emphasized that fee hikes beyond 10% within a three-year period would not be tolerated under any circumstances. Additionally, responding to complaints about schools forcing parents to purchase books and uniforms from specific vendors, Bansal reprimanded the schools and ordered an end to such practices.
On the DM’s orders, private schools have now issued advisories to parents clarifying that they are free to purchase books and uniforms from any shop of their choice.
This crackdown comes as part of the district administration’s wider campaign, under the direction of the Chief Minister, to curb unethical practices in the education sector. After targeting the book-selling monopoly earlier, the administration has now turned its focus on arbitrary school fee hikes.
A dedicated administrative core team, formed under DM Savin Bansal’s leadership, acted swiftly on complaints received from parents. Their investigations prompted immediate reforms in fee structures and school policies. The result: arbitrary fee hikes of up to 35% have been rolled back, and strict compliance with the 10% cap has been enforced.
This decisive action has brought major relief to parents and restored accountability in the private education sector. The District Magistrate concluded with a firm statement: “No ifs or buts will be entertained. Schools flouting the standards will face cancellation of recognition without exception.”
