Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann announced a strict law capping private school fee hikes at 5% per year, covering all charges. Schools exceeding limits in past 3 years must refund excess fees. A regulatory body and CA audits will monitor compliance, with penalties including withdrawal of recognition. Move follows complaints and an Amritsar student suicide linked to fee harassment.
Chandigarh: Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday said fee hike by private schools will be capped at 5 per cent per annum, saying it will provide long-awaited relief to lakhs of families across the state.
He said a law will be introduced in the next assembly session, saying it will be the country's toughest law against arbitrary fee hikes by private schools and will apply to all private schools across Punjab.
Significantly, the 5 per cent ceiling will cover not only tuition fees but all mandatory charges and funds collected by schools, closing avenues that institutions have often used to burden parents with additional costs.
Stating that the unchecked fee hikes were enabled by amendments introduced by the previous Congress government in 2019, Mann asserted that the new law would restore accountability in the education sector, protect parents from exploitation, and permanently end the harassment of children and families over school fees.
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