Greater Noida: Around 50 parents gathered outside the Wisdom Tree School in Sector 16B on Saturday morning to protest an alleged arbitrary fee increase of up to 60 percent for the 2026-27 academic session.The school, however, denied the allegations, stating that the increase was “strictly under the 7.23 percent cap” prescribed under the Uttar Pradesh State Government Fee Regulatory Act for self-financed schools.The parents’ committee at the school alleged that the school initially offered a lower fee to boost admissions but later changed the fee structure once students enrolled.Anubha Bhaskar, a parent and a committee member, claimed: “We spoke to around 270 parents and found that the fee hike ranged from 20-60 percent.”Virendar Kumar, head of the parents’ committee, alleged: “The school management circulated a revised fee structure on Friday, showing a massive hike of up to 60-70 percent from the fee initially prescribed. However, when the District Inspector of Schools (DIOS) representatives visited the school today, the management allegedly presented a fabricated fee structure to show that the hike was within the government-prescribed limit of 7.23 percent. However, the students’ actual fee receipts do not match the fee structure shown by the management.”Following the protest, which ended later in the morning, DIOS representatives assured parents that an inquiry committee would be constituted to examine the allegations.Meanwhile, a statement issued by the school on Saturday said: “The school has submitted the details to the DIOS office regarding the fee increase.Today again the details have been submitted with the DIOS.”The school also alleged that some protesters behaved aggressively toward the management and that some protesters did not have children studying at the school.DIOS (Gautam Budh Nagar) Rajesh Singh said an inquiry committee would be formed to verify the claims made by both sides. “We will form an inquiry committee that will visit the school soon to examine the facts and verify these allegations within the next three days. If we find that the school has violated any rules, action will be proposed accordingly,” Singh said.Parents also demanded the immediate handover of the affidavit promised by the school management during an April 5 meeting, where assurances regarding transparency and the continuation of students’ education were reportedly given.The school, however, has denied any pending matters. The protest has currently been discontinued, and parents said they will wait for a response from the DIOS.Kumar further alleged that parents became aware of the disparity only after the parents’ committee was formed earlier in April.The protest comes weeks after a review meeting of the District Fee Regulatory Committee (DFRC) held on April 7 following complaints regarding school fee hikes. Officials had then stated that the fee hike limit for the 2026-27 academic session had been capped at 7.23 percent, calculated on the basis of 5 percent plus the consumer price index (CPI).Officials had warned that violations could attract penalties including refunds, fines up to ₹1 lakh for first-time offences and ₹5 lakh for repeat violations. Continued violations could also result in cancellation of recognition or affiliation.