In today’s India, education is no longer just a pathway to opportunity ~ it is an increasingly unaffordable commodity. Across cities, a groundswell of parental discontent has emerged, driven by steep and seemingly arbitrary hikes in private school fees. What was once an aspirational choice for families ~ particularly those from modest means seeking better futures for their children ~ has become an unsustainable financial burden. The social contract between private educational institutions and the public they serve appears dangerously frayed. For many households, school fees now rival or exceed monthly rent, forcing difficult choices between education and basic living needs. At the heart of the unrest is a fundamental question: who is education meant to ser ve, and at what cost?

For many parents, the answer gro ws murkier each year. Fee increases upwards of 30 per cent have been reported, often with minimal advance no tice or adequate justification. In numerous cases, schools have reportedly denied........

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