Chandigarh, August 11: The Punjab Vidhan Sabha unanimously passed the Punjab Regulation Of Fees Of Un-Aided Educational Institutions Amendment Bill 2026 to curb arbitrary financial burdens on families across the state. Under the new statutory framework, private educational institutes are strictly prohibited from raising annual fees by more than five percent without prior state approval. The legislative measure also mandates forensic audits for institutions that implemented aggregate increases exceeding fifteen percent over the last three years, requiring them to refund all excess collections to parents. Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann affirmed that his government will neither allow education to become a commercial business nor let education mafias flourish in Punjab, promising strict enforcement to protect over thirty-two lakh students.
Detailing the stringent penalty structure for non-compliance, Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann declared that regulatory bodies will show zero tolerance toward unauthorized charges. He maintained that any financial collection under any head, including transport and building funds, will be formally treated as fee subject to regulation. Violations of the law will attract a fine of fifty thousand rupees for the first offense, one lakh rupees for the second, and immediate cancellation of affiliation for a third breach, Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann stated. He contrasted the initiative with previous political regimes, maintaining that past administrations allowed commercial exploitation of parents even during pandemic shutdowns, whereas the current state leadership remains fully committed to treating education as a sacred public good.
