Edu Dept to ask DC to start issuing income certificates

Naina Mishra

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Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 15

As the process for admission to nursery classes is about to begin in the city, the Education Department will write to the Deputy Commissioner (DC) on Monday to start the procedure for issuing income certificate to the economically weaker section (EWS) applicants.

Going by the previous year’s practice, the income certificates are being issued by Tehsildar(s) of the Sub-Division concerned. The certificate attested by the Sub-Divisional Magistrates (SDMs) will be accepted as proof of income by private schools.

The EWS parents will have to self-declare their income from all sources in the application form. There is no proof or evidence sought for income. The only documentary evidence sought are proof of residence, proof of identity and proof of date of birth in the application form.

The particulars required to be disclosed are monthly income of other members of the family, total annual family income from all sources and total monthly family income from all sources in the application form.

As it is a self-declaration of income, parents also have to declare that if any information for getting this income certificate is found false at any stage, the admission of their ward will get cancelled without any further inquiry and appropriate action will be taken under the RTE Act.

The form also warned the applicants for prosecution under Section 177 (false information) and 191 (false evidence) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), if the information provided is found to be false.

Due to the delay in obtaining approval from the Governor for issuance of income certificate, the admission process deferred than the common admission schedule last year. The DC office started issuing income certificate by December 20.

RTE Act

Section 12 (1) (C) of the Right to Education Act (2009) mandates non-minority private-unaided schools to keep aside at least 25 per cent of their entry-level seats for children belonging to the EWS/ disadvantaged groups (DG) to create more integrated and inclusive schooling system.

EWS student

Under Section 2(e) of the RTE Act, a parent or guardian whose annual income from all sources is less than Rs 1.50 lakh per annum is considered as a child belonging to the economically weaker section.

Percentage of EWS/DG in schools

A non-minority school is bound to reserve 25 per cent of the total seats at entry level as per the RTE Act for the EWS/DG. A minority unaided school is bound to reserve minimum 15 per cent seats for the weaker section as per the UT land allotment scheme.