AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Friday, June 5, 2026, declared that for the first time in the country, a government had reined in the arbitrary fee practices of private schools, announcing that the Punjab Aam Aadmi Party government had issued orders directing private schools to refund excess fees charged from students.

In his post on X, Kejriwal stated: 'Desh mein pehli baar private schools ki manmaani par nakel' ('For the first time in the country, a curb on the arbitrariness of private schools'). He added that the Punjab AAP government had ordered the refund of fees that had been raised beyond permissible limits.

Context

The announcement marks a significant regulatory step in Punjab, where the AAP formed its first state government in March 2022 after a landslide victory in the assembly elections. The party had campaigned on explicit promises to curb profiteering in education and healthcare, making this directive a fulfilment of a core manifesto commitment.

Private schools across India have long faced accusations of levying steep, unjustified fee hikes, placing financial strain on middle-class and lower-income families. Parents in Punjab have raised concerns over fee increases that they say were imposed without adequate notice or justification.

Policy Backdrop

The AAP government in Delhi had, from 2015 onward, issued multiple circulars directing private schools to justify fee hikes and restrain arbitrary increases. The Punjab directive appears to extend that regulatory philosophy to a second AAP-governed state.

Other states, including Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu, have operated fee regulation committees or enacted dedicated legislation for over a decade. Kejriwal's claim that this is a national first likely refers to the specific mechanism of ordering a refund of already-collected excess fees, rather than merely capping future hikes — a distinction that, if borne out, would set Punjab apart from existing frameworks elsewhere.

Stakeholders and Impact

The primary beneficiaries of the order, if enforced, would be the parents of students enrolled in private schools across Punjab. The directive is expected to face scrutiny from private school management associations, who have historically contested state intervention in fee-setting as an infringement on institutional autonomy.

District education offices in Punjab will be the implementing agencies. The practical reach of the refund order — covering how many schools, which academic years, and what quantum of fees — will determine its real-world impact on families.

What's Next

Execution of the refund directive will depend on the administrative machinery of Punjab's education department and the cooperation of private school managements. Legal challenges from school associations, a pattern seen in other states when similar orders were issued, remain a distinct possibility.

For AAP, the announcement serves as a template it may seek to replicate or publicise ahead of electoral cycles, positioning the party's governance record on education as a differentiator at the national level. Whether the Punjab model triggers similar regulatory action in other states will be a key indicator of its broader policy influence.