EWS entry: Delhi corporation schools go online

NEW DELHI: Three years ago, Directorate of Education (DOE) had started online nursery admission for the economically weaker sections and disadvantaged groups in private schools under them. From the coming session, this facility will be extended to schools under municipal corporations as well.
During a meeting of the co-ordination committee held in October, officials of the civic bodies had agreed in principle to join DOE’s online portal. The minutes of the meeting (a copy of which is with TOI) state that the DOE director asked the private school branch to draft a detailed circular defining the modalities of the online system. This was then to be sent to the local bodies.

The Right to Education (RTE) Act, 2009, mandates that all private schools reserve 25% of seats for EWS and disadvantaged categories of students.

Earlier, in the schools under civic bodies, forms used to be available offline. Each school individually conducted the draw of lots and allotted seats to the applicants. Once the schools under corporation become part of the online system, admissions will be centralised. Draw of lots will also happen online.

These will be for schools such as DAV Public School, Daryaganj, junior wing of Modern School and others. At least 200 schools from each of the three corporations and four schools under New Delhi Municipal Council will join the online portal which already has close to 1,700 private schools.

A senior official of south corporation confirmed the development. “The Delhi government told us that for all recognised schools under the corporation, EWS/DG admission should be held online. They have asked us to give the details of the schools with number of seats at entry-level classes. We haven’t sent it yet,” he said.

It hasn’t been smooth sailing with the online admission process. Every year, several complaints are raised about the process and the government has to conduct several draws of lots. This year alone the government held seven draws of lots—the last one being held on October 31. And even then, close to 14,000 seats meant for these special category students are lying vacant.