Delhi govt to hold draw of lots to fill up vacant EWS seats on March 7

Parents of several children, who received admissions under the EWS/DG category last year, also alleged that schools have been blocking their admissions.

Nearly 10 months into the 2021-22 academic year, the Directorate of Education (DoE) will undertake another draw of lots on March 7 to fill up thousands of vacant seats reserved for economically weaker sections (EWS) and disadvantaged groups (DG) in private schools in the city.

Under the Right to Education (RTE) Act, 2009, 25% of all seats in private schools are to be reserved for families under the EWS/DG category in entry-level classes. (Picture for representation only/Sanchit Khanna-HT)

Some parents have alleged that the government is going slow on the process, and experts said that DoE has already invited fresh applications for admissions in general category for 2022-23 academic year though the process is yet to begin for EWS/DG students.

Parents of several children, who received admissions under the EWS/DG category last year, also alleged that schools have been blocking their admissions.

Ashwani Sheetal, whose six-year-old girl was shortlisted for admission to a school in northwest Delhi’s Pitampura, said, “The school’s security guard doesn’t allow us to enter the premises, saying admissions have not begun. We told them about the last date for completion of admission but they give some excuse or the other to turn us away. I have also complained to various departments but to no avail,” said Sheetal.

According to a petition filed in the Delhi high court by Justice for All, a consortium of lawyers, over 40,000 seats in the 2021-22 academic year are vacant.

An official from the DoE said the admission process for 2022-23 will be initiated soon once the admission for general seats is completed. “The admission cycle for EWS seats usually starts around February-March after completion of the general cycle. There have been many Covid-induced disruptions since last year but the process should start soon,” he said.

According to officials in the education department, of the 50,000 seats open till December, 25,000-26,000 students were granted admission under the EWS category last year. “Since general admission was lower, EWS seats were less last year,” an official said in December.

Ekramul Haque, founder of Mission Taaleem, an NGO, too said that while the education department conducted three draws of lots last year, many parents were struggling to get their children admitted in schools.

“I have written over a 100 emails to the education department flagging issues parents have been facing. I haven’t received a single answer. The grievance redressal mechanism is poor due to which schools deny admission unchecked and parents are helplessly compelled to go around in circles for the whole year,” said Haque.