Amid a financial crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, parents have demanded that schools having an annual fee of over Rs 30,000 be audited as many of them across several cities have hiked their fees. An online petition in this regard has garnered significant support.

Although the state government has ordered schools against it, many have been hiking fees in the name of paying salaries. "Most of the schools are profiteering and charging exorbitant fees from parents. They are hiking fees every year without giving proper justification. Now their reason is that they have to pay teachers salaries. This, even though they have a huge surplus. Some schools are also charging transport fees and various other fees under different heads. We are ready to pay fees that will help them meet teachers' salaries, but we also want them to share the balance sheet," states the petition that has received around 1,100 signatures in around 15 hours. The petition extends its scope to schools in Thane, Pune, Nagpur, Nashik, and Aurangabad.