Punjab Governor approves ordinance capping private school fee hikes at 5% annually

Under the ordinance, private schools cannot raise annual fees by more than 5% without prior approval from the regulatory authority.

The Punjab Cabinet had last month approved an ordinance on capping fee hikes by private schools at 5% per annum; education has regrettably been made a business in the State, says CM Bhagwant Mann

A dedicated portal will also be launched today, the chief minister said in the press conference.

Punjab Governor approves ordinance capping private school fee hikes at CM Mann

Chandigarh, Jul 13: Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann here on Monday said Governor Gulab Chand Kataria has given his approval to an ordinance on capping fee hikes by private schools in the state.The Punjab Cabinet had last month approved an ordinance on capping fee hikes by private schools at 5 per cent per annum.Addressing a news conference here, Mann said his government is committed to stop hefty and multiple kinds of fees charged by private schools.ਮਾਨਯੋਗ ਗਵਰਨਰ ਸਾਹਿਬ ਦਾ ਤਹਿ ਦਿਲੋਂ ਧੰਨਵਾਦ ਜਿਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਨੇ ਪੰਜਾਬ ਦੇ ਬੱਚਿਆਂ ਅਤੇ ਮਾਪਿਆਂ ਦੇ ਹੱਕ ਵਿੱਚ ਲਏ ਸਾਡੇ ਵੱਡੇ ਫ਼ੈਸਲੇ 'ਤੇ ਮੋਹਰ ਲਗਾ ਦਿੱਤੀ ਹੈ...ਪ੍ਰਾਈਵੇਟ ਸਕੂਲਾਂ ਦੀਆਂ ਫੀਸਾਂ ਦੀ ਲੁੱਟ ਨੂੰ ਨੱਥ ਪਾਉਣ ਲਈ ਸਾਡੀ ਸਰਕਾਰ ਵੱਲੋਂ ਲਿਆਂਦੇ ਗਏ “The Punjab Regulation of Fee of Unaided Education Institutions… pic.twitter.com/cDNiufndYt— Bhagwant Mann (@BhagwantMann) July 13, 2026 Mann said the governor has given his approval to "The Punjab Regulation of Fee of Unaided Education Institutions (Amendment) Ordinance, 2026"."We brought an ordinance in the cabinet which was sent to the governor. We thank him for giving his approval," the chief minister said.He said after the tragic incident in Amritsar, he received many calls from parents regarding arbitrary fee hikes by private schools.Last month, a 17-year-old girl student in Amritsar allegedly committed suicide after facing mental harassment by her school over pending dues."Regretably, one has to say that education has been made a business and many parents approach me complaining steep fee hike by the private schools," he said.Mann said he had assured parents that his government is committed to ensure that the common man is not unnecessarily financially burdened."Some parents said that even during COVID-19 pandemic, the schools had charged transport fee. They told me the private schools charge various kinds of fee. Some in the name of building fee, vocational tour, swimming pool fee and different types of fee," he said.Chandigarh: Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann says, "A Fee Regulation Committee will be constituted under every Deputy Commissioner to scrutinise the fee details submitted by private schools and ensure that no payments are being diverted to any other accounts. Parents… pic.twitter.com/TNBHAmi4wF— IANS (@ians_india) July 13, 2026 Last month, a statement of the Chief Minister's Office stated, "In order to regularise unnecessary and unreasonable increase in fee by private non-aided schools, the Punjab Cabinet gave nod to bring Punjab Regulation of Fee of Un-aided Educational Institutions (Amendment) Ordinance, 2026."The ordinance was brought by amending the Punjab Regulation of Fee of Unaided Educational Institutions Act, 2016.The move was aimed to have an effective control over fee hikes, to provide protection to students and parents from arbitrary fee hikes, to ensure transparency and accountability in fee structure and to protect the interests of students and parents, the statement said.CAG Audit Exposes Fake Hostels, ₹1.62 Crore Fund Misuse & Poor Infrastructure In Maharashtra Student HousingThe amendments aim to bring greater clarity in the definitions of fee, fee enhancement and cumulative fee enhancement, to place a cap of five percent on annual fee hike by Un-aided Schools and to provide for prior approval of the Regulatory Body for any fee hike beyond five percent.On June 3, Chief Minister Mann announced that the fee hike will be capped at 5 per cent per annum. Later, on June 22, the Punjab Cabinet approved ordinance on capping fee hikes by private schools at 5 per cent per annum.