Punjab Govt orders drafting of law to curb arbitrary private school fee hikes

Key points

• Less than 24 hours after Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann announced sweeping reforms to curb arbitrary fee hikes by private schools, the Punjab Government has moved swiftly to translate the decision into law.
• School Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains has written to the Secretary, School Education Department, directing the immediate drafting of legislation that will regulate private school fees, enforce transparency and accountability, and protect more than 32 lakh students and their families from unjustified financial burden.
• The proposed legislation will cap annual fee hikes at 5% and require schools that have increased fees beyond the prescribed 15% threshold over the last three years to refund the excess amount collected from parents.
• The move marks a decisive step by the Punjab Government to curb profiteering in the education sector and ensure that private schools function in the interest of students and parents rather than commercial gain.
• In the order, School...