New Delhi’s private schools are under fire for allegedly holding students’ board exam roll numbers hostage to force parents into paying exorbitant fee hikes. Aam Aadmi Party’s Delhi chief Saurabh Bharadwaj has blown the whistle on what he calls blatant blackmail tactics targeting middle-class families.
Parents who refuse to cough up the arbitrary increases are finding their children’s futures at risk. Bharadwaj revealed complaints backed by evidence, including cases where roll numbers for Class 10 and 12 board exams have been withheld. ‘This is open extortion,’ he thundered, pointing to specific schools like APJ School and Salwan Public School.
At APJ School, a national-level athlete’s roll number was frozen, pressuring her family to pay up. Similar stories from Salwan Public School highlight a pattern of coercion ahead of crucial exams. Bharadwaj accused schools of scaring parents that non-payment would bar their kids from exams, derailing their careers.
He slammed the BJP-led government for turning a blind eye, neither rolling back the 20-80% hikes nor filing FIRs against errant managements. This inaction fuels suspicions of collusion between officials and school operators. Recent court setbacks, including Supreme Court critiques on hasty fee control laws and Delhi High Court stays on fee committees, have left parents vulnerable.
As the 2025-26 academic session unfolds from April 1, the government’s refusal to review hikes under new regulations exacerbates the crisis. Bharadwaj demands immediate intervention to protect students and hold schools accountable before more families suffer.