PUNJAB GOVT. GAZ.(EXTRA), SEPTEMBER 9, 2026

(BHDR 18, 1948 SAKA)

978

EXTRAORDINARY

Published by Authority

CHANDIGARH, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2026

(BHADRA 18, 1948 SAKA)

LEGISLATIVE SUPPLEMENT

Contents

Pages

Part - I

Acts

The Punjab Regulation of Fee of Un-aided

Educational Institutions (Amendment) Act, 2026

(Punjab Act No. 11 of 2026)

Part - II

Ordinances

Nil

Part - III

Delegated Legislation

Nil

Part - IV

Correction Slips, Republications and

Replacements

Nil

______

.. 979-985

( cvii )

PUNJAB GOVT. GAZ.(EXTRA), SEPTEMBER 9, 2026

(BHDR 18, 1948 SAKA)

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PART-I

GOVERNMENT OF PUNJAB

DEPARTMENT OF LEGAL AND LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS, PUNJAB

NOTIFICATION

The 9th September, 2026

No.13-Leg./2026.- The following Act of the Legislature of the State

of Punjab received the assent of the Governor of Punjab on the 30th day of

August, 2026, is hereby published for general information :-

THE PUNJAB REGULATION OF FEE OF UN-AIDED EDUCATIONAL

INSTITUTIONS (AMENDMENT) ACT, 2026

(Punjab Act No.11 of 2026)

ACT

further to amend the Punjab Regulation of Fee of Un-aided Educational

Institutions Act, 2016.

BE it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Punjab in the

Seventy-seventh Year of the Republic of India as follows:-

(1)

This Act may be called the Punjab Regulation of Fee of

Un-aided Educational Institutions (Amendment) Act, 2026.

(2)

It shall come into force on and with effect from the date of its

publication in the Official Gazette.

In the Punjab Regulation of Fee of Un-aided Educational Institutions

Act, 2016 (hereinafter referred to as the principal Act), in section 2,

(i)

after clause (ff), the following clause shall be inserted, namely:-

“(fff) ‘cumulative fee enhancement’ means the aggregate

percentage increase in the total fee charged by an Un-aided

Educational Institution over the last thirty-six months from the month

of notification of the Punjab Regulation of Fee of Un-aided Educational

Institutions (Amendment) Act, 2026 in the Official Gazette, calculated

by comparing the fee charged in the earliest of those three academic

years with the fee charged in the latest academic year;”

(ii) for clause (g), the following clause shall be substituted, namely:-

“(g) ‘fee’ means the total of all amounts charged by or on

behalf of an Un-aided Educational Institution or its associated body

Short title and

commencement.

Amendment in

section 2 of

Punjab Act 47

of 2016.

PUNJAB GOVT. GAZ.(EXTRA), SEPTEMBER 9, 2026

(BHDR 18, 1948 SAKA)

980

(Trust, Society, Company or any such entity) directly or indirectly

from a student or parent, by whatever name called, including tuition

fee, development fee, annual charges, activity charges, smart class or

technology charges, transportation charges (where not separately

contracted), laboratory and library charges, examination charges, any

other funds, and any other compulsory monetary contribution or

indirect collections and amounts collected through affiliated entities,

and includes both recurring and non-recurring charges but excludes

amounts collected as refundable security deposit, provided such deposit

is actually refunded in full on the student’s departure;” and

(iii) after clause (g), so substituted, the following clause shall be inserted,

namely:-

“(ga) ‘fee enhancement’ means any increase proposed by an

Un-aided Educational Institution or its associated body in the total fee

chargeable for a given academic year over the total fee charged in

the immediately preceding academic year, expressed as a percentage

of such preceding year’s fee;”.

In the principal Act, in section 3, in sub-section (2), for clause (d) and

the entries relating thereto, the following shall be substituted, namely:-

“(d) two members, to be

Nominated

nominated by the Government

Members”

from amongst the educationists

or financial experts or Chartered

Accountants; and

In the principal Act, for section 5, the following section shall be

substituted, namely:-

“5. (1) An Un-aided Educational Institution shall be competent to fix

its fee and it may also increase the same after

taking into account the need to generate funds to run

the Un-aided Educational Institution and to provide facilities necessary

for the benefits of students:

Provided that while fixing or increasing fee, the factors

mentioned in sub-section (1) of section 6, shall be kept in view by the

Un-aided Educational Institution.

Amendment in

section 3 of

Punjab Act 47

of 2016.

Substitution of

section 5 of

Punjab Act 47

of 2016.

Power to fix

and increase fee.

PUNJAB GOVT. GAZ.(EXTRA), SEPTEMBER 9, 2026

(BHDR 18, 1948 SAKA)

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(2) No Un-aided Educational Institution shall enhance its fee by more than

five per cent of the fee charged by it during the immediately preceding academic

year.

(3) Any enhancement of fee under section (2) shall be deemed to have been

validly effected only if the Un-aided Educational Institution has displayed the

revised fee structure at a conspicuous place within the school premises and

on its official website not less than ninety days prior to the commencement of

the academic year.

(4) The Un-aided Educational Institution shall also ensure that the parents or

guardians of the students are duly informed of the revised fee structure through

appropriate modes of communication, including email, electronic message

including WhatsApp messages, circulars, parent-teacher meetings, or any other

mode that may ensure effective notice.

(5) While fixing or increasing fee, an Un-aided Educational Institution shall

not indulge in profiteering and shall not charge capitation fee.

(6) No unaided Educational Institution shall adopt any tactic, device or means,

whether direct or indirect, to compel or induce a student or his or her parent or

guardian to purchase the school uniform from the Un-aided Educational

Institution itself or from any vendor specified, recommended or favoured by

it, and every student, parent or guardian shall be at liberty to purchase the

uniform, conforming to the colour, design and specifications notified and

displayed by the Un-aided Educational Institution under this Act, from any

vendor of his or her choice.

(7) Where an Un-aided Educational Institution prescribes any text book, work

book or other study material for any class, it shall notify and display, at a

conspicuous place in the school premises and on its official website, a list of

not less than three publishers or vendors from whom such text book, work

book or study material may be purchased, for the convenience of students and

parents, and no Un-aided Educational Institution shall compel or induce, directly

or indirectly, any student or his or her parent or guardian to purchase such text

book, work book or study material from the Un-aided Educational Institution

or from any one specific publisher or vendor, and every student, parent or

guardian shall be at liberty to purchase the same, conforming to the title and

edition so notified, from any publisher or vendor of his or her choice.”

PUNJAB GOVT. GAZ.(EXTRA), SEPTEMBER 9, 2026

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In the principal Act, after section 5, so substituted, the following sections

shall be inserted, namely:-

“5-A. Where the proposed fee enhancement for an academic year

exceeds five per cent of the fee charged in the

immediately preceding academic year, the Un-aided

Educational Institution shall submit the proposal before

the Regulatory Body of the concerned District not later than one

hundred and eighty days before the start of the academic year for

which the enhancement is sought.

(2) Fee enhancement shall not be effected unless prior written approval

is obtained from the Regulatory Body.

(3) The Regulatory Body shall also direct a forensic audit to satisfy

itself that the proposed enhancement is justified on the basis of the

factors specified in sub-section (1) of section 6 and is not motivated

by the desire to profiteer. The forensic audit shall include an audit of

the Un-aided Educational Institution or its associated body.

(4) The Regulatory Body shall dispose of the application for approval

within ninety days from the date of receipt of all the required documents,

and the existing fee structure shall continue during the pendency of

the decision by the Regulatory Body.

5-B. Where the cumulative fee enhancement charged by an Un-aided

Educational Institution over the last thirty-six months

from the month of notification of the Punjab Regulation

of Fee of Un-aided Educational Institutions

(Amendment) Act, 2026 in the Official Gazette, exceeds fifteen per

cent of the fee charged in the earliest of those three academic years,

the Un-aided Educational Institution shall refund to every affected

student or, as the case may be, to his or her parent or guardian, the

amount collected in excess of the said permissible cumulative ceiling

within ninety days from the date of such notification:

Provided that where a student has, for any reason whatsoever,

not been studying in the Un-aided Educational Institution throughout

the said period of thirty-six months, the permissible cumulative ceiling

applicable for computing the refund payable to such student shall be

five per cent, where such student has studied in the institution for one

Insertion of

sections 5-A

and 5-B in

Punjab Act 47

of 2016.

Fee enhancement

beyond five

per cent.

Retrospective

refund obligation.

PUNJAB GOVT. GAZ.(EXTRA), SEPTEMBER 9, 2026

(BHDR 18, 1948 SAKA)

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academic year, and ten per cent, where such student has studied in

the institution for two academic years, out of the said thirty-six months,

and the amount refundable to such student shall be computed with

reference to the ceiling so applicable.”

In the principal Act, for section 8, the following section shall be

substituted, namely:-

“8. Notwithstanding anything contained in this Act, the Regulatory

Body may, either suo motu or on receipt of

information, on being satisfied that an Un-aided

Educational Institution has contravened or is contravening any of the

provisions of this Act, cause a forensic audit of the Un-aided Educational

Institution or its associated body to be conducted and may also call

for the relevant record of such Un-aided Educational Institution or its

associated body, in order to verify the information.”

In the principal Act, in section 14,-

(i) in sub-section (1), for the words, “thirty thousand rupees”, “rupees

fifty thousand” and “rupees one lac”, the words “rupees fifty

thousand”, “rupees one lac” and “rupees two lac” shall, respectively,

be substituted;

(ii) in sub-section (2), for the words, “sixty thousand rupees”, “rupees

one lac” and “rupees two lac”, the words “rupees one lac”, “rupees

three lac” and “rupees five lac” shall, respectively, be substituted;

(iii) after sub-section (3), the following sub-section shall be inserted,

namely:-

“(3-A) For the purposes of this section, and for determining first,

second and third contraventions, only violations committed within

the preceding five years shall be taken into consideration.”;

(iv)for sub-section (4), the following sub-section shall be substituted,

namely:-

“(4) The Regulatory Body shall direct the Un-aided Educational

Institution to refund the fee in excess of the fee as displayed by

such institution to the affected students or their parents:

Provided that where an Un-aided Educational Institution

fails to comply with a refund order within thirty days from the date

of such order, the Regulatory Body may, in addition to any penalty

Substitution of

section 8 of

Punjab Act 47

of 2016.

Jurisdiction of

Regulatory

Body.

Amendment in

section 14 of

Punjab Act 47

of 2016.

PUNJAB GOVT. GAZ.(EXTRA), SEPTEMBER 9, 2026

(BHDR 18, 1948 SAKA)

984

imposed under this section, levy a further fine of rupees ten

thousand per day:

Provided further that if the Un-aided Educational

Institution fails to deposit the abovesaid fine and refund within the

specified period, the recognition and/or affiliation granted to the

Un-aided Educational Institution may be withdrawn for non-

compliance with the order of the Regulatory Body.”; and

(v) after sub-section (4), the following sub-section shall be added,

namely:-

“(5) No order withdrawing recognition and/or affiliation under this

section shall be passed unless the concerned Un-aided Educational

Institution has been given a reasonable opportunity of being heard.”

8. In the principal Act, for section 15, the following section shall be substituted,

namely:-

“15. (1) The Secretary to Government of Punjab, Department of

School Education, shall be the Appellate Authority for hearing

appeals against any direction or order passed by the

Regulatory Body under this Act.

(2) Any person or Unaided Educational Institution aggrieved by any direction

or order passed by the Regulatory Body under this Act may, within forty-five

days from the date of communication of such direction or order, file an appeal

before the Appellate Authority:

Provided that the Appellate Authority may entertain an appeal filed

after the expiry of the said period of forty-five days, if it is satisfied that the

appellant was prevented by sufficient cause from filing the appeal in time.

(3) The Appellate Authority shall, after giving the parties a reasonable

opportunity of being heard, dispose of the appeal, as far as possible, within

ninety days from the date of filing thereof, and may confirm, modify or set

aside the direction or order appealed against, or remand the matter to the

Regulatory Body for fresh decision.

(4) The order passed by the Appellate Authority under sub-section (3) shall be

final.”

Substitution of

section 15 of

Punjab Act 47

of 2016.

Apeal

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(BHDR 18, 1948 SAKA)

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9. In the principal Act, after section 15, so substituted, the following section

shall be inserted, namely:-

“15-A. (1) The Regulatory Body may, either on an application made by any

party affected or suo motu, review any direction or order

passed by it under this Act, where, subsequent to the passing

of such direction or order, new and important facts or evidence have come to

its notice, which, after the exercise of due diligence, were not within the

knowledge of, or could not be produced by, the party affected at the time such

direction or order was passed, or where there is an error apparent on the face

of the record, or for any other sufficient reason:

Provided that no direction or order shall be reviewed under this section

after the expiry of forty-five days from the date of issuance of the order.

Provided further that no direction or order shall be reviewed under

this section unless the parties affected thereby have been given a reasonable

opportunity of being heard.

(2) Any direction or order passed on review under this section shall be

appealable under section 15 in like manner as the original direction or order.”

10. (1) The Punjab Regulation of Fee of Un-aided Educational Institutions

(Amendment) Ordinance, 2026 (Punjab Ordinance No. 2 of 2026), is hereby

repealed.

(2) Nothwithstanding such repeal, anything done or any action taken under

the principal Act, as amended by the Ordinance referred to in sub-section (1),

shall be deemed to have been done or taken under the principal Act, as amended

by this Act.

Sd/-

B.B.S. TEJI,

Principal Secretary to Government of Punjab,

Department of Legal and Legislative Affairs.

Insertion of

section 15-A in

Punjab Act 47 of

2016.

Power to

review.

Repeal and

saving.

3824/9-2026/Pb. Govt. Press, S.A.S. Nagar