The Maharashtra school education department has reinstated the previously inactive Divisional Fee Regulatory Committees (DFRCs) and established a new appellate Revision Committee, thereby reintroducing a formal system for addressing grievances from parents.

A notification issued by the government on March 18 detailed the formation of four DFRCs, which will serve the divisions of Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. Each committee will be led by a retired district judge, with the divisional deputy directors of education serving as ex-officio secretaries. The newly formed Revision Committee will function as the appellate body for disputes concerning school fees.

Established under the Maharashtra Educational Institutions (Regulation of Fee) Act of 2011, the DFRCs are authorized to resolve complaints regarding unjustified fee increases imposed by schools. Current regulations stipulate that complaints can only be initiated if at least 25 percent of a school’s parents express their concerns about the fee structure. A senior official indicated that further information about the committees and how to engage with them will be released soon to enhance parent awareness.

Anubha Sahai, a representative of the India Wide Parents Association and a legal expert, commented, “The responsibility of the state goes beyond merely setting up the DFRCs if they are not going to function effectively. We have consistently opposed the requirement that at least 25 percent of parents must raise complaints about fee hikes. Even small groups or individual parents should have the ability to submit complaints to the DFRC.”

For the latest updates, follow us on Instagram.