EWS category: all eyes on high court

Delhi education minister Kiran Walia on Friday cleared the air on 15 per cent reservation for students belonging to the economically weaker section (EWS) category from classes 2-12.

Delhi education minister Kiran Walia on Friday cleared the air on 15 per cent reservation for students belonging to the economically weaker section (EWS) category from classes 2-12.

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Walia met representatives of 15 schools amid confusion over a section of the RTE Act. The section says schools that have got subsidised land must admit students from the EWS category from classes 2-12, and not just at the entry level.

Walia said though the Delhi government had earlier asked such schools to reserve 20% of their seats for EWS category students, the high court brought it down to 15%.

The matter is pending before the high court and will come up for hearing on December 4. Walia, however, maintained schools would have to abide by whatever the court decides.

"We will comply with the court's verdict. Schools too, have to accordingly take cognizance of that because it is their individual commitment that they had made when they got the land from different agencies and signed their lease deed," Walia added.