Saurashtra Private School Fee Regulation Remains Unresolved As FRC Lacks Chairman: 2 Lakh Parents Affected

Rajkot: A five-month delay in appointing a chairman to the Fee Regulation Committee (FRC) for the Saurashtra zone has left over 650 private school fee proposals unresolved, directly impacting more than 2 lakh parents across the region. The FRC, based in Rajkot, oversees fee approvals for over 5,000 private schools in 11 districts, including Jamnagar, Morbi, Junagadh, Bhavnagar, and Porbandar.

Since the resignation of Chairman Justice P.J. Agravat on January 31, 2025, no replacement has been appointed. According to rules, the chairman must be a retired High Court judge under 62, making the selection process difficult and time-consuming.

Without a chairman, the FRC is powerless to approve or reject any fee hike proposals. Although the committee includes other members such as an education expert, a school representative, a chartered accountant, and a civil engineer, decisions require the chairman’s final sign-off. This leadership void has put parents under significant stress, especially those facing sudden fee increases. “My daughter’s Class 12 fee increased by ₹7,000 compared to last year, with no added facilities,” said Mayur Shah, a concerned parent. “There’s no transparency or oversight.”

In 2017, the Gujarat government had introduced fee caps,₹15,000 for primary, ₹27,000 for secondary, and ₹30,000 for higher secondary schools. However, current fees in many private schools far exceed these limits.

Jatin Bharad, President of the Gujarat Self-Financed School Management Federation, stated that over 5,200 schools had submitted proposals for revised fees for the 2025–26 academic year, but at least 650 schools’ files remain pending. “We’ve made multiple requests to the government to appoint a chairman, but there’s been no action.”

To manage the situation temporarily, schools that filed affidavits confirming their fees remain within the prescribed limits are allowed to charge last year’s fees. But for the rest, the deadlock continues, creating uncertainty for both parents and school managements. Unless the government appoints a chairman soon, the region’s education ecosystem may face deeper conflict and loss of trust.

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