Chandigarh, 01 August (H.S.): Punjab Government is set to introduce the Punjab Regulation of Fee of Un-aided Educational Institutions (Amendment) Bill, 2026, during the Monsoon Session of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha. The proposed legislation will provide permanent legal backing to the Ordinance enforced on July 13, 2026, to regulate private school fees and protect parents from arbitrary increases.

The new framework is expected to benefit more than 32 lakh students studying in over 7,800 private schools across Punjab. It introduces strict limits on annual fee hikes, mandatory refunds of excess collections and provisions for forensic audits of school accounts.

Under the Bill, private schools will not be permitted to increase fees by more than five per cent annually without approval. Any proposed hike beyond this limit will require prior written permission from the District Regulatory Body after scrutiny of the school’s financial records.

The legislation also provides that if the cumulative fee increase by a school during the previous three years exceeds 15 per cent, the excess amount will have to be refunded to students and parents. All compulsory charges will be included while calculating the fee limit, preventing schools from avoiding the cap by collecting money under separate heads. Profiteering and capitation fees in any form will also be prohibited.

A District Regulatory Body headed by the Deputy Commissioner has been constituted in every district to implement the provisions. Private schools are required to upload their fee records for the past four years on the Education Department’s online portal within the prescribed period.

The regulatory authorities will have the power to order forensic audits of school accounts either on their own or after receiving complaints from parents. Complaints submitted by parents or students will be decided within a fixed timeframe after giving the concerned school an opportunity to present its case.

The Bill proposes a fine of ₹50,000 for the first violation and ₹1 lakh for a second offence. Repeated violations may lead to cancellation of the school’s recognition or affiliation, along with further legal action.

The government has already started examining fee records submitted by private schools. More than 6,500 schools have provided their records so far, and refund orders will be issued wherever excess fee collection is established.

School Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains said the reform would ensure transparency, accountability and permanent protection for parents. He stressed that education was a public good and should not be treated as a profit-making commercial enterprise.

Hindusthan Samachar / GURSHARAN SINGH