In a move aimed at curbing arbitrary fee hikes and promoting educational equity, the Assam government on Wednesday tabled a bill in the assembly to regulate fees charges by minority-run private educational institutions in the state. The Assam Non-Government Educational Institutions (Regulation of Fees) (Amendment) Bill, 2025, seeks to bring over 200 minority-run private schools in the state, currently exempt from fee regulation by the govt, under a mandatory fee regulatory framework, mandating transparent fixation and periodic reviews.
Education Minister Ranoj Pegu introduced the amendment bill on Wednesday during the ongoing winter session of the 126-member Assam Legislative Assembly. Speaking in the House, Pegu emphasized the need for regulation, noting that minority institutions, established under Article 30(1) of the Indian Constitution, have operated without a “fee fixation certificate,” allowing annual increases in fee without justification.
“In some cases, higher fees are charged to cover expenditures unrelated to school matters,” Pegu stated in the bill’s Statement of Objects and Reasons, adding that the changes would ensure “fair and justifiable” costs for students and parents.
The provision introduces sets up compulsory registration, fee approval and periodic renewal for all non-government institutions, including those run under Article 30(1)-schools run by minorities. The move outlines a system for monitoring charges and places all private schools under a single regulatory process.
A key provision of the bill requires private schools in rural panchayat areas to offer a 25% discount on admission fees compared to urban counterparts. The bill states that since the cost of operation and maintenance is lower in rural areas, this discount has been proposed. This measure is expected to ease the financial burden on thousands of rural families who send their children to such minority run private schools, like the Christian missionary run schools.
The bill was approved by the cabinet in the weekly cabinet meeting of the Assam govt on 23 November. Announcing the decision, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had said that while the Assam govt regulates the fee charges by private educational institutions under the Assam Non-Government Educational Institutions (Regulation of Fees) Act, schools run by minority groups like Jains, Buddhists, Christians, Muslims are exempt from this act. The cabinet decided that now the minority run private schools will also be brought under government regulation.
The Chief Minister described it as a step toward “equity and accountability” in private education, bringing all private educational institutions under the same govt oversight. After the bill is enacted, the amendment would integrate these schools into the Act’s regulatory mechanism, overseen by a state committee.
With this move, the Assam govt has taken an important step in bringing equality to educational institutions in the state. The new law will ensure that all private schools and colleges are governed under the same law, irrespective of their minority status.
While the bill covers all minority run private schools, Christian Missionary run schools will be most impacted, as they are the largest group of such school. Therefore, the proposal has ignited opposition from Christian organizations, who claim that it could dismantle the autonomy of missionary institutions and their schools will lose protections.
The Assam Christian Forum (ACF), the state’s apex body for Christian communities, issued a strongly worded statement on November 25, saying that they are “pained and feel intimidated.” They stated, “the proposed Bill ends the hands-off approach for minority schools and hands the State sweeping powers to fix fees, monitor collections, and intervene at will.”
The ACF further said, “Without the ability to set reasonable fees, the minority-run schools may struggle to pay teachers, maintain facilities, or offer scholarships to poor students, many from tribal and remote areas.”
