The Delhi High Court on Saturday stayed the Delhi government’s February 1 notification on private school fees. The notification had asked schools to form School-Level Fee Regulation Committees (SLFRCs). It also directed them to submit proposed fee details for the next three academic years.
A Division Bench of Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia passed the interim order. The Bench kept the February 1 notification in abeyance until the court finally hears the petitions.
The Court also gave interim relief to the petitioner-schools. It allowed them to charge the same fees for the 2026–2027 academic year as they charged in the previous year. This arrangement will continue until the competent authority fixes or approves the fees under the Act and the Rules. The order will remain subject to the final outcome of the petitions.
The Bench said it would be proper to defer the constitution of SLFRCs during the pendency of the petitions. It therefore kept the operation of clauses 3(1) and 3(2) of the notification on hold. The petitions will come up for final hearing on March 12, 2026.
What the February 1 Order Required
The Court passed the interim stay while hearing petitions by private schools. The schools challenged the February 1 notification.
The notification came through the Delhi School Education (Removal of Difficulties) Order, 2026. It required schools to constitute SLFRCs within 10 days of publication. It also asked schools to submit proposed fee structures within 14 days after forming the committees. The proposal covered a three-year block starting from the 2026–2027 academic year.
Schools Challenge “Removal of Difficulties” Order
The petitioner-schools argued that the order bypassed the parent law. They referred to the Delhi School Education (Transparency in Fixation and Regulation of Fees) Act, 2025.
They said the Act sets July 15 as the timeline to constitute SLFRCs. The February 1 notification shifted the schedule earlier. It directed schools to form the committees by February 10.
Earlier Proceedings and Supreme Court Development
The dispute has a longer procedural background.
Earlier, the schools challenged a December 24, 2025 notification before the Delhi High Court. That notification required SLFRCs by January 10, 2026. It also sought to apply the fee regulation law to the 2025–26 session.
On January 9, 2026, the High Court issued notice. It extended the deadline for forming committees to January 20. The Delhi government later withdrew the December notification. It then issued the February 1 notification.
The schools moved the Supreme Court against the High Court’s January 9 order. During the hearing, the Delhi government said the new law would not apply to the 2025–26 academic year. The Supreme Court disposed of the plea. It also said the High Court could examine the challenge to the February 1 notification.
Interim Relief Granted; Final Hearing on March 12
After the Supreme Court’s order, the schools returned to the Delhi High Court. They challenged the February 1 notification again.
The Division Bench has now stayed clauses 3(1) and 3(2). It also allowed schools to continue with last year’s fee for 2026–2027. The interim arrangement will stay in force until the authority approves or fixes the fee under the Act and Rules. The petitions are listed for final hearing on March 12, 2026.
