Decks cleared for admission of 79,000 students in EWS category

Pradeep Sharma
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, May 21

Decks have been cleared for the admission of 79,000 meritorious students, belonging to below poverty line/economically weaker sections (BLP/EWS), in private schools under Rule 134-A of the Haryana Education (Third Amendment), 2013, Act.

With the state government releasing pending reimbursement claims amounting to nearly Rs 36 crore for the last four years to private schools today, the stalemate between the latter and the Education Department seems to have ended. The pending amount for 2015-16, 2016-17 and 2017-18 has now being cleared.

On May 19, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar had stepped in to facilitate the admission of nearly 79,000 students, directing the department to reimburse the pending amount to private schools.

“In the first phase, the admission of 52,226 students, who were allotted private schools on the basis of their eligibility, will be done by May 25. The admission process, including the school allotment process, of the remaining 26,756 students will be completed subsequently,” Education Minister Ram Bilas Sharma told The Tribune.

As many as 78,982 students had passed the examination conducted under Rule 134-A. Out of these, 52,226 students were allotted schools on their merit and schools selected by them on a priority basis. However, their admission was held up with the state government due to its failure to pay the reimbursement claims.

Under Section 134-A, there is a 10 per cent quota for BPL\\\/EWS students in private schools.