Chandigarh, August 10: The Punjab Assembly has unanimously passed the ‘Punjab Regulation of Fees of Un-Aided Educational Institutions (Amendment) Bill, 2026’, which aims to curb arbitrary fee hikes by private schools. This legislation will provide better protection for students and parents against excessive fee collection.
Under this new law, private schools are prohibited from increasing fees by more than 5% in the upcoming academic session. Any amount collected from parents will be considered part of the fee and will fall under regulatory oversight.
The government will also conduct forensic audits of private schools to identify any overcharging and ensure that excess amounts are refunded to parents. Penalties for violations will include a fine of ₹50,000 for the first offense, ₹1 lakh for the second, and potential revocation of affiliation for repeated offenses.
Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann criticized the previous Congress government, stating that during the COVID-19 lockdown, when schools were closed and transportation was halted, parents were still forced to pay transport fees. He emphasized that such exploitation will not be tolerated in Punjab. Mann asserted that his government will not allow education to become a business nor permit an education mafia to thrive in the state.
In addition to the fee regulation bill, the Assembly passed eight other bills related to infrastructure, taxation, employment, rural development, and environmental protection, thereby strengthening the legal and regulatory framework in the state.
The ‘Punjab Common Infrastructure (Regulation and Maintenance) Amendment Bill, 2026′, presented by Cabinet Minister Aman Arora, was passed by majority vote. The education minister, Harjot Singh Bains, also successfully presented the ‘Punjab Regulation of Fees of Un-Aided Educational Institutions (Amendment) Bill, 2026’.
Furthermore, three university-related bills were passed, including the Cloud University, Hoshiarpur Bill, 2026; MS Digital University, Patiala Bill, 2026; and Physicswala Digital University, Patiala Bill, 2026, all presented by Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains.
The ‘Punjab Goods and Services Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2026’, introduced by Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema, was also passed by majority. Additionally, the ‘Punjab State Outsourced Personal (Transition to Contractual Engagement) Bill, 2026’, presented by Cheema, received unanimous approval.
The ‘Punjab Panchayati Raj (Amendment) Bill, 2026’, introduced by Minister Tarunpreet Singh Sound, was passed by majority vote, along with the ‘Punjab Tree Protection Bill, 2026’, presented by Minister Lal Chand Kataruchak.
–
Leave a Comment