The Punjab government has implemented the Punjab Regulation of Fees of Unaided Educational Institutions (Amendment) Ordinance, 2026, after Governor Gulab Chand Kataria approved the measure, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann announced the decision during a live address, stating that the ordinance is aimed at stopping arbitrary fee hikes by private schools.
reducing the financial burden on parents and according to the Punjab government, the new rules will apply to nearly 7,800 private unaided schools across the state and are expected to benefit more than 32 lakh students and their families.
The Chief Minister said that no private unaided school will be allowed to increase its total fees by more than 5% in a year without following the process laid down under the law and the cap will apply not only to tuition fees but also to other mandatory charges, including annual fees, development fees and building funds.
Bhagwant Mann thanked Governor Gulab Chand Kataria for approving the ordinance, calling it a major decision taken in the interest of students and parents and said the government would not allow education to become a business and remained committed to protecting families from excessive financial pressure caused by frequent fee hikes.
Under the new rules, every private school must upload its fee records for the last four years to the Education Department's online portal within 10 days and the government said this step is intended to improve transparency and make fee structures easier to monitor.
A regulatory committee headed by the Deputy Commissioner (DC) will examine cases where schools seek permission to increase fees beyond the prescribed limit and schools must apply in advance and provide detailed justification, along with supporting financial records, a financial audit may also be conducted before any decision is taken.
The ordinance also provides relief for parents who may have paid excessive fees in recent years. schools that have increased fees by more than 15% over the past 36 months will be required to refund the excess amount to parents, according to the government.
Strict penalties have been introduced for violations. Depending on the category of the school, fines can range from ₹50,000 to ₹5 lakh and repeated violations may result in the cancellation of the school's recognition and the rules will apply to all unaided private schools affiliated with boards including PSEB, CBSE, ICSE and other recognised education boards operating in Punjab.
The amendment strengthens the existing Punjab law regulating fees charged by unaided educational institutions and the government said the decision was taken following repeated complaints from parents over annual fee hikes and additional charges imposed by some private schools.
The ordinance was approved by the Governor on July 9, 2026, and the signed copy was forwarded to the Chief Minister's Office and the Department of School Education on July 10 for further action and since an ordinance has the same legal effect as a law while the Legislative Assembly is not in session, the Department of School Education is now expected to implement its provisions across the state.
