Why are private schools in Delhi denying admission to EWS category students?

The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has directed the Delhi government to take immediate legal action to ensure that 18,000 children who have not been provided admission to private schools in the national capital in the last two years are provided with uninterrupted education. The Commission has written a letter to Delhi Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar addressing various complaints received with regards to denying admission to children belonging to the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) category by private Delhi schools, reported The New Indian Express.

The private schools had allegedly denied the students admission despite them being selected in the lottery system under the provisions of the Right to Education Act 2009, which makes it mandatory for all private schools in Delhi to reserve 25 percent of seats for EWS. The dealing officer from the Directorate of Education in Delhi was summoned virtually by the commission and, during the hearing, the number of students denied admission, in this case, was revealed. 

"During summon hearing, it has come to light that in the academic year 2021-2022 approximate seats allotted for admission of EWS category children in Delhi private schools were 40,000 wherein admission has been given to 28,000 children. Further, in the academic year 2022-2023, approximate seats allotted for admission of EWS category children in Delhi private schools were 33,000, wherein admission has been given to around 27,000 children," said commission chairperson Priyank Kanoongo in his letter, according to a report by TNIE.

Instead of the 40,000 seats that were to be allotted in the academic year 2022-23, only 33,000 seats were accounted for. Kanoongo, in his letter, highlighted that 7,000 seats were yet to be allocated for admission of the EWS category students by the Directorate of Education in the current academic year. He went on to call this number "substantially ghastly".

"Prima facie, in the past two years, around 18,000 children have not been provided admission in Delhi under the EWS category even after allotment by the Directorate of Education," the letter further elaborated. Kanoongo stressed the right to free and compulsory education for all children and directed the authorities to pass immediate orders and take appropriate action within seven days of issuing the letter. Additionally, the commission mandated that it be kept in the loop and apprised of any pending sub-judice matters related to the issue in order for it to intervene when required.