The Hindu : Sheila to decide on quota for poor students

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Mar 07, 2004

New Delhi

New Delhi

Sheila to decide on quota for poor students

By Sujay Mehdudia

NEW DELHI, MARCH 6. The controversy over the quota for poor students in public schools continues to haunt the Delhi Government and the public school managements. The stand-off between the Government and the federation of public schools on the issue continues with no solution in sight. For its part, the Directorate of Education is putting together a policy document outlining the broad guidelines for providing admission to poor students in public schools.

The federation of public schools has proposed a 5 per cent quota for this category of under-privileged students. However, this has not found favour with the authorities who want the federation to show further flexibility and at least take the quota to 15 per cent if not the 20 per cent as desired by the Delhi Government.

Insiders in the Delhi Government revealed that the Education Minister, Arvinder Singh Lovely, has been monitoring the whole situation. The Education Department has been encouraged to seek a higher quota for poor students in view of the directions issued by the Delhi High Court for ensuring a 25 per cent quota for patients in hospitals who have been allotted land at throw away prices. However, it is understood that the Chief Minister, Sheila Dikshit, will take a final decision on the issue some time next week.

It is understood that the federation has conveyed to the Directorate about its intention to take five per cent poor students every year and provide them free education. However, Mr. Lovely is understood to have rejected this quota and has made it clear that nothing short of 20 per cent would be acceptable to the Government.

At the time of allotment of land, the lease conditions had clearly stated that a separate quota would have to be provided to poor students in these schools.

However, hardly any school has implemented this commitment and now the matter threatens to take a legal course. "I have got the response of the federation of schools and the same has been sent to the Directorate of Education for further action. We will keep the interests of these students uppermost in our minds before arriving at any decision. We are not for confrontation with the public schools and want to resolve it amicably to the satisfaction of all but this should not be seen as our weakness. The federation of public schools should show much more flexibility on the issue,'' Mr. Lovely asserted.It is learnt that Ms. Dikshit has sought details about the quota and other specifications before arriving at a decision.

A number of schools have pointed out that the lease deed provisions differentiate from school to school and in a number of cases, school managements have paid the market price for the land.

A senior Directorate official said: "The Government has an open mind on the issue and it will try not to interfere with the functioning of these schools. It could be anything between 10 to 15 per cent. However, if the interests of the poor man are not protected then the Government would be forced to take a tough stand.''

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