The DoE has created five slabs on the basis of the existing tuition fee in schools. The amount schools can increase has to be proportional to the fee already charged. For example, schools that charge less than Rs 500 per month can hike their fee by Rs 100 per month at most.

The five slabs allow fee hike of Rs 100, 200, 300, 400 and 500 per month.

The maximum permissible arrears amount has also been fixed according to the categories created, with the ‘E’ category schools being allowed to charge a maximum of Rs 4,500 per student. The arrear amounts are to be collected in two instalments, in March and September.

The government has also put a cap on the development fee charged by the schools, restricted registration charges to Rs 25, and fixed admission fee at Rs 200. The caution money levied on admission has also been restricted to Rs 500, and it has been made mandatory to return the amount once the student leaves the school.

But the schools cry foul. “We will not be able to implement the recommendations of the Sixth Pay Commission with the amount of fee hike allowed,” R C Jain of the Delhi State Public Schools Management Association said.

On the other hand, associations of parents say the hike is unfair. Ashok Aggarwal, legal advisor to the Delhi Abhibhavak Mahasangh, said orders of the High Court and the Supreme Court to look into the individual accounts of each school have not been followed.