Delhi High Court Allows DPS Dwarka Students to Resume Studies on Payment of 50% Hiked Fee
New Delhi, May 29, 2025,
New Delhi– The Delhi High Court has provided interim relief to students of Delhi Public School (DPS), Dwarka, permitting them to continue their education upon their parents depositing 50% of the hiked school fees for the academic years 2024-25 onwards. The decision follows the school’s move to remove students from its rolls over non-payment of the increased fees.
Justice Vikas Mahajan issued the order in response to a plea by over 100 parents challenging the fee hike and the subsequent expulsion of their children. The parents also requested the Lieutenant Governor’s intervention to assume control of the school amid the ongoing dispute.
Key Observations
- Private schools can determine fees based on projected expenses without prior Directorate of Education (DoE) approval, but such hikes are subject to DoE review.
- The DoE can order rollbacks if fee increases are found to be arbitrary or profiteering.
- The DoE had rejected DPS Dwarka’s fee hike for 2023-24, and the school’s challenge to this decision did not secure a stay.
Interim Directions
- Parents must pay the full base fee and 50% of the hiked fee for 2024-25 onwards.
- Students struck off the rolls for non-payment will be reinstated and allowed to resume studies.
- The relief is temporary, pending DoE review and the outcome of the writ petition.
- Modifications to the order are permissible if circumstances change.
The main writ petition is set for hearing on August 28, 2025. A related case involving 32 expelled students awaits judgment from another bench.
The ruling ensures uninterrupted education for affected students while the court and DoE evaluate the fee hike’s validity, highlighting tensions over private school fee regulations.
