Overview
- Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann announced on Wednesday that private schools may raise all compulsory fees by no more than 5 percent a year and must refund any amount charged above a 15 percent rise over the past three years.
- The state says it will introduce an immediate ordinance and follow with legislation in the next assembly session, and School Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains has ordered the fee-regulation draft for fast cabinet consideration.
- Enforcement will include fines, a graded penalty system that can end in withdrawal of affiliation, and proposed financial audits carried out by empanelled chartered accountants to review three to five years of school records.
- The policy covers roughly 7,500–7,800 unaided private schools educating about 30 lakh students and has drawn warnings from school groups that a strict cap without tax or cost relief could strain school finances and staff pay.
- The announcement was prompted by public outrage after 17-year-old Amjot Kaur allegedly died following fee-related harassment; Amritsar police have filed abetment charges against school staff who are reported to be absconding and the criminal probe is active.