Revise income limit for EWS admissions: L-G to govt.

Saxena said the income threshold of ₹1 lakh was unrealistic

Lieutenant-Governor V.K. Saxena has “strongly” advised the Delhi government to increase the income threshold for private school admissions under the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) category from ₹1 lakh to ₹5 lakh, Raj Niwas officials said on Wednesday.

Mr. Saxena said the income threshold of ₹1 lakh set by the Delhi government was unrealistic. In a file related to a Delhi High Court matter concerning income limit, the L-G noted that it should ideally be in line with the income threshold of ₹8 lakh applicable in case of EWS admissions in higher education institutions or at least ₹5 lakh since the students benefitting at the primary and secondary levels are the ones who go ahead to avail of higher education benefits.

In March, the High Court had ordered that children belonging to families with annual income up to ₹2.5 lakh can seek admission to schools in the national capital under the EWS quota, modifying an earlier order, which had raised the income limit from ₹1 lakh to ₹5 lakh annually until the government amended the relevant law.

War of words

The Aam Aadmi Party, in a statement, said, “The proposal [to increase the income threshold to ₹2.5 lakh] of the Directorate of Education, GNCTD, which the L-G has now approved, was sent to him in April. He had returned the file without his approval. He could have given the same ‘strong advice’ then but he did not do it. Now when faced with contempt of court, he is pretending to show concern for the children of EWS category.”

In response to the AAP statement, a source in the L-G’s office said, “AAP is lying. The file could not have come to the L-G because the then CM [Arvind Kejriwal] was in jail. If at all, the file may have been lying at the CM’s office.”

Published - November 14, 2024 01:08 am IST