Jharkhand Private schools warned of Rs 2.5 lakh fine for arbitrary fee hikes

Mail News Service

Ranchi, March 24: The issue of arbitrary fee hikes and re-admission charges imposed by private schools was raised in the Jharkhand Assembly on Monday. Through a call attention motion, Jharia MLA Ragini Singh highlighted that private schools increased fees by 10-20% annually under the guise of re-admission. She also alleged that schools forced parents to buy books from specific vendors, often charging a commission on books. Singh strongly criticized private schools, stating that they were exploiting poor families.

In response, Education Minister Ramdas Soren informed the House that fee regulation committees including parents and teachers had been formed in schools, to prevent such malpractices. Additionally, a district-level committee oversaw school fee structures. The minister further stated that if a school was found guilty of arbitrary behaviour, the committee had the authority to impose a fine of up to Rs 2.5 lakh on the school management.