Each year, around 20% of seats allotted to students from economically weaker sections and disadvantaged groups in private schools in Delhi go vacant, sources said. A day after the Delhi High Court directed that the cap on income for a child to be eligible for the EWS quota be raised to Rs 5 lakh from the existing Rs 1 lakh, experts said it is expected to lead to an increase in applications under the quota, but a significant change in vacant seats is not expected. This year, around 2.09 lakh applications were received for 35,000 seats under the 25% quota at 2,001 private schools. Of these, around 6,500 are still vacant. “It is the most popular 100 schools where there is a race to get in, usually. In the remaining schools, the competition is not very high. Many of these are budget private schools where the fee is between Rs 1,500 and Rs 2,500 per month. For them, in fact, the reimbursement given by the government is crucial and they are happy to get applications but do not find many takers. Some would pick a newer government school over the private school they have been allotted in the draw of lots,” a senior Delhi government official said. But why do seats go unfilled? According to experts, the implementation of the Right to Education Act (RTE), which guarantees 25% reservation under the category, has proved to be difficult. Even the clause in the land agreement of over 400 schools, which mandated reservation for the EWS category before the Act was implemented, is patchy and mired in litigation. “It was only after the implementation of RTE Act that the issue was taken seriously. Schools, over the years, have reduced the number of general category students they admit each year at the entry-level just to escape their responsibility. They then admit EWS students based on the intake of general category students. On top of that, schools create many hurdles, sometimes asking for documents, address proof, and Aadhaar cards that the parents may not have. All this is not allowed but parents get demoralised and give up,” said another officer, on condition of anonymity. The reduction in the number of available seats is a fact. The number was around 50,000 in 2018-19 and has reduced to 35,000 this year. Activists, meanwhile, welcomed the Delhi HC order but were unsure if the situation would change on the ground. “In the past few years, there has been a marked increase in school fees and cost of uniforms and books. Most students who study in private schools also go to tuition to cope with their peers. The move to increase the cap is good but the real question is whether the government will be able to cater to this group and how many children will ultimately get admission,” said Saurabh Sharma, from JOSH, an organisation working with underprivileged children. (Inputs from Vidheesha Kuntamalla)
