Government collects billions from students despite free education laws

Students from grades 9 to 12 pay thousands of rupees in government-imposed charges every year, even as the constitution and the Act Relating to Compulsory and Free Education guarantee free education up to the secondary level.

Despite the constitutional guarantee of free education up to the secondary level, the government continues to charge students thousands of rupees in mandatory fees under various headings, generating more than Rs2.5 billion in annual revenue from students alone.