Haryana's scheme for EWS students fares poorly, only 6% seats sought

Ravinder Saini

Rohtak, July 12

The CHEERAG (CM Haryana Equal Education Relief, Assistance and Grant) Scheme, which provides for free education to economically weaker section (EWS) children in private schools from Class II to XII, has evoked a tepid response.

Only 1,470 applications have been received against 24,987 seats reserved under the CHEERAG scheme in 381 private schools across the state. This comes to just six per cent of the total seats. The last date to apply was July 8. Not a single application was received in six districts — Rohtak, Karnal, Mahendragarh, Mewat, Palwal and Panchkula — and less than 10 were received in Ambala, Jhajjar, Sirsa and Yamunanagar districts.

At 615, Hisar received the highest number of applications followed by Jind (256) and Sonepat (177) and Bhiwani (117), sources say. Only those students, who passed their previous class from a government school, are eligible to apply under the scheme that was launched this year. Students can take admission only in those private schools located in the block where they were previously studying.

“Only a few schools have adopted the scheme. Some of the schools are far, hence parents are not keen to send their wards there,” a school owner said.

Another reason for the lukewarm response was that the scheme was only for government students, he said. Sources say before launching the scheme, all private schools were given the option to adopt it, but the majority of the institutions did not show interest.

Sunil Dutt, District Education Officer, Mahendragarh, said: “In all, 21 private schools in the district have adopted the scheme. However, not a single application was received. The reasons are being ascertained.”Neither Education Minister Kanwar Pal Gujjar nor Additional Chief Secretary (School Education) Mahavir Singh could be contacted in spite of repeated attempts.

No application in six districts

• Only 1,470 applications received for admissions against 24,987 seats in private schools across Haryana
• Not a single application was received in six districts — Rohtak, Karnal, Mahendragarh, Mewat, Palwal and Panchkula
• At 615, Hisar got highest number of applications