In a major development in the ongoing fee hike controversy at Delhi Public School (DPS), Dwarka, over 100 parents have approached the Delhi High Court seeking intervention by the Delhi government and the Lieutenant Governor (LG) to take over the management of the school, citing coercive fee collection practices and alleged harassment of students.
The petition, filed by 102 parents, claims the school has repeatedly used pressure tactics to extract unapproved fees, despite parents’ consistent objections. It accuses the institution of adopting “unhealthy, dirty and inhumane practices,” including allegedly deploying bouncers on school premises under the pretext of managing students.
During a hearing, Justice Vikas Mahajan proposed that the parents deposit 50% of the disputed fee hike, pending final adjudication. However, the parents declined, stating that it was financially unfeasible. According to the petitioners, the monthly fees were initially increased by ₹7,000 and then further raised to ₹9,000 without due authorization.
The plea highlights that despite several representations to the LG’s office, pointing out alleged violations of land allotment terms and non-compliance with directives from the Delhi government’s Directorate of Education (DoE), no corrective action has been taken.
The DoE had earlier, through its orders dated May 22 and May 28, 2024, directed the school to refund excess fees collected for the 2022-23 academic session and warned against causing any academic loss or mistreatment of students. The petition questions why the DoE has not yet moved to take over the school, as empowered under Article 239AA of the Constitution, with the LG acting as the administrator of Delhi.
Further aggravating the parents’ concerns, the plea referred to a related case where the school was allegedly found confining students in the library, denying them access to classes, restricting their movement, and monitoring them closely with guards—practices flagged in an inspection report by a committee led by the district magistrate (Southwest Delhi).
