‘3-year stay in Delhi must for EWS benefit’

NEW DELHI: Citing the "general tendency" of migrants to keep shifting from one city to another, the Delhi government has defended its criteria insisting on minimum three years residence in the city for them to avail EWS quota in private schools.

In an affidavit filed in the Delhi high court, the department of education has said the condition of continuous three years residency is imposed to ensure that the benefit of free ship in schools is received by children who are permanently residing in the state and can "fruitfully reap the benefits provided in the RTE Act in a private school."

Directorate of education (DoE) has argued the demand of three years residence proof from the poor, to permit them to avail of EWS free ship in private schools, doesn't cause hardship to migrants as government schools are in any case providing them unconditional admission. "Continuous residency for three years will ensure the applicant settles in Delhi permanently so that the child imbibes the education and values, and there is optimum utilization of the quota," the affidavit says explaining the three year proof clause in the DoE circular.

The affidavit came in response to an HC query on the validity of the circular that excludes migrant children from availing quota facility under the economically weaker section (EWS) category. The court is hearing a petition filed by a street vendor seeking EWS benefits for her five-year-old child in a private unaided school and assailing the circular on the ground that it violates his fundamental rights.