Assam moves to regulate minority school fees, curb arbitrary hikes

Guwahati, Nov 26 (IANS) The Assam government has proposed sweeping changes to the way fees are determined in private minority-run and rural-based educational institutions, aiming to end unregulated increases and bring greater transparency and accountability to the system. 

Education Minister Ranoj Pegu on Wednesday tabled the Assam Non-Government Educational Institutions (Regulation of Fees) (Amendment) Bill, 2025 in the state Assembly. The proposed legislation seeks to remove the existing exemption that allows minority institutions to operate without obtaining a fee certificate from the competent authority. 

Addressing the House, the minister said that more than 200 minority-run schools in the state currently function outside the fee regulation framework. In the absence of oversight, he noted, these institutions have been setting and collecting fees according to their own discretion. 

“At present, the government monitors the fee structure of private schools covered under the Parent Act. However, institutions established by religious or linguistic minority groups are not under any such control. The new amendment proposes to bring them within a regulated mechanism,” Pegu said. 

The minister further cited complaints that several schools revise their fee structures every year without valid or transparent justification. In certain instances, he pointed out, higher fees are imposed to meet operational expenditures that appear inflated or unreasonable in comparison to actual requirements. 

Pegu also highlighted the significant disparity in fee patterns between rural and urban institutions. He said that many remote schools, functioning in villages and panchayat areas, charge fees on par with those in cities, despite considerably lower infrastructure and maintenance costs. 

Under the proposed amendment, rural private institutions will be required to maintain fees that are at least 25 per cent lower than those charged by similar schools in urban areas. The move is intended to reduce the financial strain on families in rural and economically weaker regions and make education more accessible. 

If passed by the Assembly, the bill will pave the way for a more uniform, structured and accountable fee system across Assam. It will also bring minority-run institutions -- previously beyond the purview of state regulation -- under a common framework aimed at protecting the interests of students and parents. 

The government believes the amendment will help prevent exploitation, improve transparency in school administration, and ensure that educational costs remain fair and justifiable across all categories of private institutions in the state.

--IANS 

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