New Delhi, June 5 -- The Punjab government has moved to formalise its proposed crackdown on private school fee increases, with Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains directing officials to draft legislation within a day of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann announcing the reforms.

The proposed law seeks to introduce a regulatory framework covering nearly 7,800 private schools in Punjab, where more than 32 lakh students are enrolled. The government says the objective is to prevent arbitrary fee hikes, improve transparency and protect families from rising education costs.

Under the proposed framework, annual fee increases by private schools would be capped at 5%. In addition, institutions that increased fees beyond a cumulative 15% thresho...