Legal Regime Of Regulation Of School Fees With Special Reference To Karnataka
- IJLLR Journal
- 14 hours ago
- 1 min read
Dr. K B Kempe Gowda, Professor & Principal, Vivekananda College of Law, Gayathrinagar, Bengaluru
ABSTRACT
Education plays a key role in the vision of social justice and welfare outlined in the Indian Constitution. The addition of Article 21A through the Constitution (86th Amendment) Act, 2002 changed elementary education from a guideline into a fundamental right. However, the growing commercial emphasis on private education and the widening gap between government and private schools have raised serious concerns about access, affordability, and equality in education. Karnataka, like many other Indian states, has seen ongoing discussions about sudden fee increases, lack of regulation for private schools, and declining public trust in government educational institutions. This article looks closely at the constitutional framework that governs the right to education, the courts' approach to regulating private educational institutions, and the real challenges the Karnataka Government faces in enforcing fee regulation policies. The article argues that while the State has a constitutional duty to provide affordable education, too much interference with school independence could infringe on rights protected under Article 19(1)(g). Therefore, a balanced regulatory framework that includes transparency, accountability, and measures against profit-making is crucial for aligning educational access with institutional freedom.
