New Delhi: Parents of students at Delhi Public School, Dwarka, have again alleged that the institute is demanding disputed arrears from previous academic sessions, violating a Delhi High Court judgment prohibiting retrospective recovery.
Some parents have approached Directorate of Education (DoE) over alleged non-compliance with the court and departmental directions. A representation has also been addressed to the Chief Justice of India, raising questions over the interpretation and enforcement of Supreme Court precedents governing fee regulation in private unaided schools.
In April 2025, an eight-member committee constituted by DoE found that some students affected by the fee dispute were being made to sit in the library instead of attending regular classes. In May 2025, on a petition by more than 100 DPS Dwarka parents, HC directed that their children be allowed to continue studying, subject to payment of the full base fee and 50% of the hiked component for 2024-25 onwards, pending adjudication. A broader judgment on May 22, 2026, covering a batch of private-school petitions, held that DoE’s approval was then not required before fee increases at the beginning of an academic session. However, recognising the burden of accumulated dues, the court directed that the schools’ last-proposed increases would apply only from the session beginning April 2027.
Because of the dispute, the court directed that students should not be segregated or denied classes and facilities. The dispute has repeatedly reached the high court and prompted departmental inspections and notices. The department issued a show-cause notice asking why action, including derecognition, should not be initiated.
a govt official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the matter involved legacy issues that were pending before the court prior to the implementation of the fees regulation Act While DoE also didn’t respond. “The Act cannot be applied to this case as the law cannot be enforced retrospectively,” the official said. Queries sent to the school administration remained unanswered.