Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Eight months into the 2025-26 academic session, nearly 800 of Bhopal’s 1,717 private schools are yet to upload fee details on the state government’s portal. Schools were required to do this three months before the session, by January 1, 2025.
The state government extended the last date three times, finally fixing August 8, 2025, as the deadline. Even that did not work. More than three months later, schools have still not complied. While the government has issued notices, it has not derecognised or fined any school, despite having the powers to do so under the Fee Regulation Act.
Under Madhya Pradesh Niji Vidyalaya (Fees Evam Anya Vishyon Ka Niyman) Adhiniyam 2017, all private schools must submit audited accounts to the District Committee for Regulating Fee, and no fee increase is allowed if a school’s income exceeds expenditure by more than 15%.
Fee hikes cannot exceed 15% a year. These provisions are meant to protect parents from undue financial burden and prevent schools from turning into profit-driven businesses. Schools are required to upload class-wise fee details on the Directorate of Public Instruction portal.
On July 15 this year, the Directorate informed all District Collectors and District Education Officers that schools charging annual fees below Rs 25,000 would be exempt from the Act. The 2025-26 session began on April 1, 2025, and ends on March 31, 2026, meaning schools should have uploaded fee details by January 1, 2025. Despite repeated reminders, 833 schools, almost half, have still not complied.
DEO, Bhopal NK Ahirwar said, "Notices have been issued to schools. I cannot say offhand how many have complied."
General secretary, MP Paalak Mahsangh, Prabodh Pandya said, "I can’t understand why the government is being so lenient. It has the power to derecognise schools, reject fee enhancements of non-compliant schools, and impose fines up to Rs 2 lakh. But nothing is being done."
