Delhi schooling dept invitations functions for EWS admissions to personal faculties
With the new academic year set to begin in a little over a month, the Delhi education department has invited fresh applications for EWS admissions for the current academic year to the city’s private schools, following High Court directives.
According to the provisions of the Right to Education Act, admissions to 25% of seats at entry-level classes at private schools are reserved for students from Economically Weaker Section (EWS) and Children with Special Needs (CWSN). While 22% of seats are reserved for EWS admissions, 3% are for CWSN admissions.
In past years, the draw of lots was conducted for more than 50,000 of these seats. However, in the 2021-2022 session, it was done for only around 33,000. According to an affidavit filed by the education department in the court, it received 1,26,061 applications against 33,055 seats and 21,699 of them took admission in these schools. It had submitted that 2,058 private recognized unaided schools had participated in this exercise, of which 1,515 were DOE-recognized schools and 543 were under the municipal corporations.
A petition in the Delhi High Court by NGO Justice for All has also pointed out that in the session 2020-2021, the draw of lots had been conducted for 54,000 students out of which 30,000 had taken admission, meaning that 24,000 seats should have been carried over for EWS admissions for this ongoing session.
Every year, the EWS admission process is concluded before December 31 and the seats that remain vacant are carried over for EWS admission in the next class in the next admission cycle. However, the Delhi High Court directed the department to take out a fresh advertisement for admissions through this process to ensure seats are not wasted.
The education department has issued a fresh notice now calling for applications, and the last date for submitting applications is March 3. The draw of lots will be conducted on March 7.
“The candidates who have applied earlier but remain unsuccessful in the draw of lots so far against the EWS/DG & CWSN category seats, need not apply again for these vacant seats and their earlier applications will be considered,” reads the notification.
