Srinagar, Oct 11: The Fee Fixation and Regulation Committee (FFRC), mandated to regulate fee structures of private schools across Jammu and Kashmir, has been functioning without a chairman for over five months, leaving hundreds of school fee proposals awaiting approval and complaints from parents unresolved.
The committee has remained headless since April 30, 2026, when the extended tenure of its chairman, Justice (retd) Sunil Hali, expired.
In the absence of a chairman, the FFRC has been limited to receiving applications from private schools and examining the documents submitted for approval. An official at the committee said it was unable to approve fee structures or initiate action against schools without a chairman.
“No meeting of the committee has been convened during these five months, while complaints lodged by parents and other stakeholders and files submitted by private schools have also remained unattended,” the official told Greater Kashmir.
The official said hundreds of files submitted by schools for approval of their fee structures were awaiting clearance, as the process could not be completed without the chairman’s approval.
“We continue to receive school files and conduct the requisite analysis, but the process cannot move forward without the chairman’s approval,” the official said.
He added that the committee was also unable to summon school functionaries in connection with complaints.
“We are not authorised to take any action without the chairman. The committee is completely defunct as of now,” he said.
The vacancy comes ahead of the new academic session, a period when parents frequently approach the committee with complaints about fee hikes, demands for donations and other charges imposed by private schools.
The official said the committee could receive complaints but was unable to take effective action in the absence of a chairman.
He warned that the prolonged vacancy could leave parents vulnerable to arbitrary fee hikes, demands for donations and the prescription of textbooks at exorbitant prices without timely regulatory intervention.
“Any parent who approaches the FFRC with complaints or other grievances regarding school fees returns disappointed, as their issues remain unresolved,” the official said.
Justice (retd) Sunil Hali was appointed chairman of the FFRC on March 25, 2023, for a three-year term from the date he assumed charge. After the completion of his tenure, his term was extended by one month, until April 30, 2026.
However, the government is yet to appoint a successor, leaving the committee unable to discharge its core regulatory responsibilities.
More than 5,500 private schools across Jammu and Kashmir fall under the FFRC’s ambit. The committee is responsible for determining and regulating tuition fees and other permissible charges levied by educational institutions.
Earlier, Education Minister Sakina Itoo had told Greater Kashmir that a panel would be constituted at the departmental level to facilitate the appointment of a new FFRC chairman. However, the position remains vacant more than five months later, with no appointment announced so far.
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