Delhi govt. makes EWS quota mandatory in playschools

By NewsGram Staff-Writer

The AAP-led Delhi government on Sunday issued orders applying economically weaker section (EWS) quota in all playschools, crèches in the city. Until now 25% of seats used to be reserved in schools for students from economically weaker section. Parents with income less than 1 lakh a year are covered under EWS quota.

Under the directive of Delhi high court in November 2014, schools in the capital were directed to admit students from EWS and provide them with all facilities free of cost. Now Deputy CM Manish Sisodia has issued the orders to install same facility in nursery and pre-primary schools too. The action is compulsory for schools functioning on land received from state govt. All schools under the scheme will be bound to follow the orders, failing which they will be required to present an explanation.

Schools will also have to bear the registration or prospectus fee of the EWS applicants. According to the directive by the education department, all schools are advised to upload necessary information on their respective websites. They cannot take any interviews or conduct any kind of exam with the parents of EWS applicants.

Apart from obtaining a registration number for each application, the schools would be reasoned for rejecting an EWS application. In case the number of applications exceeds more than one on a single seat, the decision would be made by drawing a lot.