Delhi High Court Increases Income Limit for School Admission Under EWS Quota

In a recent development, the Delhi High Court has modified a previous order related to school admissions under the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) quota. The division bench of the Delhi HC increased the income threshold for admission under the EWS category, providing relief to many families. Here are the key details of the recent order:

Increase in Income Threshold

• The Delhi High Court stated that children belonging to families with an annual income of up to Rs 2.5 lakh can seek admission to schools in the national capital under the EWS quota.
• This modification comes in response to an earlier order passed by a single-judge bench of the court on December 5, 2023. The previous judgment had raised the income limit from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 5 lakh annually until the government amended the relevant law.

Impact of Increased Income Threshold

• Previously, a child whose parents had an annual income of less than ₹1 lakh and had been staying in Delhi for the last three years was eligible for EWS reservation.
• However, the Delhi government filed an appeal against the judgment, arguing that it was difficult to implement the single judge’s order.
• The government’s Standing Counsel Santosh Kumar Tripathi stated that the judge’s direction for underprivileged people to show income proof may hinder their child’s education, as people from lower strata are unlikely to have any income proof.
• He further mentioned that the government cabinet is responsible for making a policy decision on the quantum of the threshold income, and as per the EWS entitlement in Delhi, the threshold income shall be around ₹2.5 lakhs.

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