Two days after Punjab introduced a plan to limit private school fee hikes to five percent annually, Arvind Kejriwal of the Aam Aadmi Party praised the initiative. The proposal in Punjab includes refunding excess fees collected over the past three years and imposing penalties, potentially leading to school recognition cancellation. Kejriwal highlighted that schools exceeding a 15 percent fee increase in three years must refund the surplus amount.
In a video statement, Kejriwal commended Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s decision to restrict fee hikes in private schools. He emphasized that this move, a first in India, aims to ensure fair fees for parents. Kejriwal recalled a similar action taken during his tenure in Delhi, where excess fees were refunded to students, now mirrored in Punjab.
Kejriwal lauded the quality of education in Punjab’s government schools, noting the state’s top ranking in NITI Aayog’s School Education Quality Report 2026, surpassing even Kerala. While acknowledging that not all private schools are problematic, he stressed the need to curb arbitrary fee practices that burden parents. Kejriwal called for nationwide adoption of such regulations to benefit both parents and students.
