Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Monday (July 13, 2026) said Governor Gulab Chand Kataria has given approval to an ordinance on capping the fee hikes by private schools in the State.

The Punjab Cabinet had last month approved an ordinance on capping fee hikes by private schools at 5% per annum.

Addressing a news conference here, Mr. Mann said his government is committed to stop hefty and multiple kinds of fees charged by private schools.

The Chief Minister said the Governor has given his approval to ‘The Punjab Regulation of Fee of Unaided Education Institutions (Amendment) Ordinance, 2026’.

“We brought an ordinance in the State Cabinet which was sent to the Governor. We thank him for giving his approval,” the Chief Minister said.

Arbitrary changes

He said after the tragic incident in Amritsar, he received many calls from parents regarding arbitrary increase in fees levied by private schools.

Last month, a 17-year-old girl in Amritsar allegedly committed suicide after facing mental harassment in her school over pending dues.

Education has regrettably been made a business and many parents approach me complaining about steep fee hike by private schools, he said.

Mr. Mann said he had assured parents that his government is committed to ensure that the common man is not financially burdened.

Some parents said that even during COVID-19 pandemic, the schools had charged transport fees.

“They told me the private schools charge various kinds of fees. Some in the name of building fee, vocational tour, swimming pool fee and different types of fee,” he said.

Last month, the Chief Minister’s Office stated, “In order to regularise unnecessary and unreasonable increase in fee by private non-aided schools, the Punjab Cabinet gave nod to bring Punjab Regulation of Fee of Unaided Educational Institutions (Amendment) Ordinance, 2026.” The ordinance was brought in by amending the Punjab Regulation of Fee of Unaided Educational Institutions Act, 2016.

The move was aimed to have an effective control over fee hikes, to provide protection to students and parents from arbitrary fee hikes, to ensure transparency and accountability in fee structure and to protect the interests of students and parents, the statement said.

The amendments aim to bring greater clarity in the definitions of fee, fee enhancement and cumulative fee enhancement, to place a cap of 5% on annual fee hike by unaided schools and to provide for prior approval of the regulatory body for any fee hike beyond 5%.

On June 3, the Chief Minister had announced that the fee hike will be capped at 5% per annum. Later, on June 22, the Punjab Cabinet approved the ordinance on capping fee hikes by private schools at 5% per annum.