AAP protests ‘fee hike’ by Saket school; BJP says issue resolved under new law

NEW DELHI: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Monday staged a protest against an alleged fee hike by a private school in Saket, as parents raised concerns over delays in the issuance of roll numbers to students due to appear for upcoming Central Board of Secondary Education board examinations.

AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj claimed that private schools had increased fees by 50 to 80 per cent from April 1 last year and alleged that the BJP-led government had failed to ensure refunds despite promising a new law.

He also alleged that some schools were threatening to bar students from examinations if the revised fees were not paid.

Parents at the protest said some Class 10 students had not received admit cards ahead of their examinations. Protesters carried placards reading “stop blackmail” and raised slogans against alleged harassment.

Responding, BJP MLA Harish Khurana said the Rekha Gupta government had resolved the issue through legislative intervention.

He cited the Delhi School Education (Transparency in Fixation and Regulation of Fees) Act, 2025, which freezes private school fees for 2025–26 at April 1, 2025 levels, bars unauthorised collections and prohibits withholding roll numbers. He said the government had directed that no student’s future would be jeopardised.