PRAYAGRAJ, April 14 -- With parents' anger mounting over what they call unchecked profiteering by private schools, the district administration has launched a sweeping crackdown aimed at curbing arbitrary fee hikes and other alleged irregularities.

Nearly 200 private schools affiliated to the ICSE, CBSE and UP Board have come under the scanner as authorities move to rein in practices such as annual fee increases, repeated changes of textbooks despite unchanged curricula, short-term reappointment of teachers to avoid provident fund payments, and hefty charges levied under multiple heads including sports, laboratory, maintenance and electricity.

Acting on a surge of complaints from parents, the administration directed all private schools i...