The Delhi High Court has asked the Delhi government to try to clear the backlog of vacant EWS seats in private schools over the next five years. It also said that the state will have to take steps to help the EWS category students in cases where schools have not complied with the admission requirements.
A bench of Justices Najma Waziri and Bikash Mahajan said the state shall ensure that 25 per cent seats in the EWS category are filled on the basis of the sanctioned strength declared at the entry level – pre-school, nursery, pre-primary, KG and class 1 – Irrespective of the actual number of students taking admission in the general category.
In instances where schools have not adhered to the strict admission requirements of EWS category students, the state will have to step in to assist the latter and perform its duty as a welfare state. The Bench said that no beneficiary of government land can ignore or evade his liability under the allotment.
Delhi Government Standing Counsel SK. Tripathi and Advocate A. Tanwar submitted that 132 private schools have been found to be violating the government’s directive on admission of students in the EWS category and notices have been issued to them. He said that the seats in the EWS category are to be filled completely at the ‘entry level’ but some schools are not admitting EWS students for the past decade.
Under these circumstances, the State will make every effort to ensure that the backlog of vacant seats in private schools, both on private and government land, is filled in a phased manner over the next five years, i.e. 20 per cent of the number of vacancies every year, with mandatory annual In addition to the 25 per cent intake, – it said.
Private schools on government land also have to admit 25 percent EWS category students at the entry level. However, reimbursement is to be made by the Delhi government for only 5 per cent students of this category.
Under the EWS category, the court’s May 26 order said, private schools on private land would have to admit 25 per cent of the students in the EWS category, the fee for which is paid on the basis of the expenses of the student of a government school.
Further proceedings on August 4:
The court asked the Delhi government to file the compliance affidavit before the next date and listed the matter for further proceedings on August 4.
