Delhi HC asks parents to deposit 50% hiked fees, directs school to allow students in classes

Justice Vikas Mahajan, in a May 16 order which was released on Wednesday night, clarified that the rebate of 50 per cent is on the hiked component of the fee and the base fee should be paid in full.

The Delhi High Court has directed over 100 parents, embroiled in fee dispute with Delhi Public School in Dwarka, to deposit 50 per cent of the hiked fees for academic year 2025-26 following which their wards will be allowed to continue their studies.

Justice Vikas Mahajan, in a May 16 order which was released on Wednesday night, clarified that the rebate of 50 per cent is on the hiked component of the fee and the base fee should be paid in full. The court passed the interim order on a petition by 102 parents seeking protection of their children amid the ongoing fee hike issue at DPS Dwarka and sought its takeover by the government and Lieutenant Governor in the capital.

The plea alleged that in the last few years, the school has pressured and used coercive methods to collect the unapproved fees from parents, who have insisted on not paying the unapproved fees. The high court said the interim relief sought by the petitioners in this case about academic year 2025-26 does not persuade it as nothing has been placed on record to show that the Delhi government’s Directorate of Education (DoE) has rejected the fixation of fee by the school for the academic session 2024-25 onwards.

“Until and unless the DoE reviews the financial statements of the school and on its findings, rejects the statement of fee providing for enhancement for the academic sessions 2024-25 onwards on the touch stone of ‘profiteering’ and ‘commercialisation’ of education, the enunciation of law as noted above does not provide for any embargo on such enhancement of fee,” it said.

The court further said that the parents of the students studying in DPS Dwarka ought to pay the fee as per the statements of fee submitted by the school for the academic sessions 2024-25 onwards, till the time the DoE takes a decision on the same, and further subject to the final outcome of the writ petition.

The court noted the submission of the counsel for the school that the institution is amenable to the petitioners paying 50 per cent of the hiked school fee. “Therefore, it is directed that the wards of the petitioners shall be allowed to continue their studies in their respective classes till the pendency of the present petition subject to the parents depositing 50 per cent of the hiked school fee for the academic years 2024-25 onwards. It is clarified that the rebate of 50 per cent is on the hiked component of the fee, the base fee shall be paid in full,” it said.

The court also issued notice to the school, LG, and Delhi government on the main petition and asked them to file their replies within four weeks and listed the matter for hearing on August 28. The parents' counsel had said the school increased the fee by Rs 7,000 a month and now raised it by Rs 9,000 monthly.