No arbitrary fee structures in Uttar Pradesh schools soon?

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Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh government on Friday the draft of a legislation aimed at checking arbitrary fee structures in private schools in the state.

Releasing the draft of the Uttar Pradesh Self-Financed Independent Schools (Regulation of Fees) Bill 2017, Deputy Chief Minister Dinesh Sharma said that it aims to check the fee structure and provide relief to students.

Sharma also holds the primary and secondary education portfolio.

"The aim is that there should not be any capitation fee and that the admission fee is not charged every year, and is charged only in class VI, class IX and class XI," he said.

The draft bill proposes Rs 1 lakh penalty on schools flouting provisions for the first time, Rs 5 lakh for the second and de-recognition in case they do the same for the third time, Sharma said.

The draft has been uploaded on the Uttar Pradesh government's website for suggestions and objections, he said.

It proposes that schools may revise its fee annually for its students keeping it equivalent to the percentage of average per capita increase of monthly salary of teachers during the previous year, the deputy chief minister said.

This is provided that the fee increased shall not exceed the latest yearly published consumer price index plus five per cent, he said.

It also proposes banning schools from charging a one-time fee on annual basis. The legislation is likely to be enforced from the next academic session, Sharma said.