Punjab Cabinet Approves Ordinance to Regulate Fee Hikes in Private Schools

Chandigarh, June 22: The Punjab Cabinet, led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, approved an ordinance on Monday aimed at regulating fee increases in private schools that do not receive government aid. This move also involves changes to industrial incentive regulations and aims to strengthen digital governance.

According to the Chief Minister’s office, the Cabinet has sanctioned the ‘Punjab Regulation of Fees of Un-Aided Educational Institutions (Amendment) Ordinance, 2026.’ This ordinance amends the ‘Punjab Regulation of Fees of Un-Aided Educational Institutions Act, 2016.’

The primary goal of this decision is to control fee hikes, protect students and parents from arbitrary increases, ensure transparency and accountability in the fee structure, and safeguard their interests.

The amendments clarify definitions related to fees, fee increases, and total fee hikes. It sets a limit of 5% on annual fee increases, requiring regulatory body approval for any hikes exceeding this threshold.

In another decision, the Cabinet approved amendments to the guidelines established on November 13, 2019, for providing capital subsidies and investment incentives under the state’s industrial policy.

The purpose of these amendments is to simplify and streamline the subsidy process, improve administrative efficiency, and ensure uniform application across eligible industrial units.

Under the revised framework, capital subsidies will be granted to eligible industrial units based on the verification of necessary documents and fulfillment of specified conditions, following the removal of clauses 1.1 and 1.2 from the guidelines.

To integrate databases across various departments, avoid duplication, and streamline processes, the Cabinet also approved the implementation of the ‘State Data Integration Platform (SDIP)’ in Punjab.

A three-tier steering committee will be established under the Chief Secretary to ensure the smooth execution of the SDIP project. The committee will be chaired by the Chief Secretary, with the Administrative Secretary (Governance) serving as the member-coordinator, and other Administrative Secretaries from different departments as members.

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