New Delhi: Delhi education minister Ashish Sood on Thursday read out the names of 11 private schools that were issued show cause notices following complaints of unregulated and arbitrary fee hikes. He emphasised the govt’s swift response, stating that audits of 600 schools were completed within just eight days.
“We constituted a committee comprising district magistrates and sub-divisional magistrates to conduct inspections in private schools. The reports submitted by these officials formed the basis of the observations made by the Delhi High Court,” Sood said. His remarks came a day after Delhi HC strongly reprimanded DPS Dwarka for subjecting students to “indignity” during a fee-related dispute by confining them to the library and barring them from attending classes or interacting with their peers.
Holding up the court’s order, Sood stated, “This is how battles are won—through facts. The committee’s reports prompted the high court to step in, and the district magistrate was told to ensure that no injustice continues. This wasn’t rocket science—it was a demonstration of strong political will.”
Sood further criticised the previous govt for its inaction over the last five years, claiming that concerns over arbitrary fee hikes in private schools went unaddressed for too long. “These issues were neglected for years. It is only after the BJP came to power in Delhi that serious steps are being taken,” he said.
Taking aim at the former administration, Sood added, “They spread misinformation about this govt. I revealed how certain schools were allowed to raise fees unchecked in the past, and not one clarification came from the previous govt. Schools were given the opportunity to explain the hikes, but many failed to respond. Even the former chief minister remained silent. They simply made allegations and disappeared.”
Reiterating the current administration’s commitment to accountability and justice, he said, “Those who mock us by comparing our governance to ‘Phulera ki panchayat’ should understand that effective administration requires integrity and resolve. We’re not here to make excuses—we’re here to act.”
Sood contrasted the current govt’s performance with that of its predecessor, pointing out that only 750 schools were audited over a 10-year span, whereas the present administration reviewed 600 schools in just over a week. “We’re doing what they failed to do,” he said.
Reacting to the allegations, AAP Delhi state president Saurabh Bharadwaj said: “A few days ago, the same minister, Sood, claimed that the Delhi govt under Arvind Kejriwal did not conduct any audit of schools. And today, he is claiming that the Delhi govt has audited 750 schools. So firstly, he has been proven wrong. Secondly, no auditor has been appointed by the BJP government yet. And if he says that BJP’s Delhi government has conducted 600 audits in the last 10 days, he is lying,” he said.
Bharadwaj said, “The law mandates that this audit must be conducted by auditors appointed either by the govt or by the CAG. However, in an attempt to support private schools in court, they have asked the SDMs to conduct the audits—audits that will not stand up in court. There have been prior instances where such audits by SDMs or DMs have been set aside”.
According to the Directorate of Education , district-level committees have been formed to investigate the complaints. Headed by SDMs, the panels also include officials from the education department, accounts officers, and principals of govt schools. Their mandate is to inspect private unaided schools, especially those identified in public grievances.