Pioneer in short

pvt schools cannot collect unregulated fees from April 1

The Delhi Government told the high court on Friday that private schools cannot collect fees from April 1 for the new academic session unless it is determined and approved in accordance with the new fee-regulation law. Opposing pleas moved by several schools’ associations seeking a stay on the Government mandate to constitute School-Level Fee Regulation Committees (SLFRCs) for the upcoming academic year, Additional Solicitor General SV Raju said the consequences would be “disastrous” and no prejudice would be caused to the schools at this stage by forming such a panel. A bench of Chief Justice DK Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia was hearing the petitions filed by the  schools’ associations challenging the February 1 notification of the Government on setting up the committees within 10 days. “My case is that schools cannot charge anything other than the approved fee under the Act [Delhi School Education (Transparency in Fixation and Regulation of Fees) Act]. They cannot collect from April 1 because the Act prohibits it. “The Act prohibited for the earlier year also, but it has somehow been kept in abeyance. From April 1, 2026, if they want to collect fees, which is unregulated, they cannot do it,” the senior law officer said on behalf of the Delhi Government.

India assumes IONS Chairmanship

India has assumed the Chairmanship of the IONS from the Royal Thai Navy after a gap of 16 years, a top official said on Friday. The Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) is a voluntary initiative aimed at increasing maritime cooperation among navies of littoral states of the Indian Ocean Region. India assumed the role during the 9th Conclave of Chiefs held here, Vice Admiral Tarun Sobti, Deputy Chief of Naval Staff, said. Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi took over as Chair of IONS at the conclave, which brought together Chiefs of Navies and Heads of Maritime Security Agencies from 33 countries, including members, observers and other Indian Ocean littoral nations.

EU-US deals to push Indian economy

India’s free trade deals with the European Union and the US are likely to play a significant role for the economy in the coming years, as foreign portfolio investments and the rupee staged a comeback post the two announcements, the RBI’s bulletin said on Friday. An article published in the Reserve Bank’s February bulletin also emphasised that the domestic economy remained resilient, with quarterly results of listed private companies showing strengthening of aggregate sales growth. The Union Budget 2026-27 reaffirmed the Government's commitment to fiscal consolidation without diluting the focus on long-term growth, with stepped-up allocation towards capital expenditure, said the article on the State of the economy. The completion of the India-EU free trade negotiations and the subsequent interim trade agreement between India and the US are likely to play a significant role in the coming years.