New Delhi: Societies and public trusts seeking government or municipal land to establish private schools must obtain an essentiality certificate from the lieutenant governor before purchasing or being allotted the land, under amendments to the Delhi School Education Rules, 1973, notified by the Delhi government.
The Delhi School Education (Amendment) Rules, 2026, notified on September 30, amend Rule 44, which governs the procedure for opening new schools.
Under the new rules, the certificate will assess the need for the proposed school in the concerned locality.
The administrator can also conduct inquiries before deciding whether to issue the certificate.
The change modifies the earlier framework under Rule 44, which required individuals, associations, societies and trusts proposing to establish a new school, other than a minority school, to inform the administrator in writing before opening it. The intimation had to include details such as the proposed location, the number of students likely to enroll, the existing schools and population in the zone, the building, financial resources, proposed fees and staff recruitment procedures.
Under the earlier provision, the administrator could examine these details and decide whether opening the proposed school would be in the public interest. If the number of schools in a zone was considered sufficient to meet local needs, the administrator could inform the applicant that opening another school there would be against public interest and indicate an alternative zone where a new school was needed.
{{/usCountry}}Under the earlier provision, the administrator could examine these details and decide whether opening the proposed school would be in the public interest. If the number of schools in a zone was considered sufficient to meet local needs, the administrator could inform the applicant that opening another school there would be against public interest and indicate an alternative zone where a new school was needed.
{{/usCountry}}The amended rules retain the public-interest assessment framework but carve out an exception for private schools proposed by societies or public trusts on privately owned commercial land.
“Delhi’s growing population means more schools, more seats and more opportunities. Outdated regulations and unnecessary procedural hurdles cannot hold back education infrastructure. This amendment simplifies the process, unlocks eligible privately owned land for educational use and encourages investment in school infrastructure, while protecting public interest,” Delhi Education Minister Ashish Sood said.
However, criticising the amendment, advocate Ashok Aggarwal said, “This is a step towards privatisation. The government has been easing norms for private educational institutions, and this move is no different. Private schools are coming up everywhere while the government schools are shutting down.”