EWS reimbursements: UT admn to settle private schools’ dues by April

There has been a spurt for minority status after the 2012 Supreme Court order that held that minority institutes were not bound to reserve seats for EWS category students under the RTE Act

The Chandigarh administration has undertaken before the Punjab and Haryana high court that it will settle issue of reimbursement to private schools in lieu of admitting students from economic weaker section (EWS) within eight weeks.

One of the counsels appearing for a school had told the court that it was the schools’ responsibility to admit the students, but it was the state’s responsibility to reimburse the institution. (HT File Photo)

UT’s counsel told the high court bench of justice Harsimran Singh Sethi that schools had already submitted their representations on the issue and any supplementary details could be submitted within one week.

UT will consider the same and decide the quantum of money to which an institute was entitled for reimbursement. This will be paid within four weeks, after it is decided, a team of lawyers led by senior standing counsel, Amit Jhanji told the high court.

The court was dealing with an application from the Chandigarh administration in which it had sought modification of an order passed by the high court in December 2023 allowing St Kabir School, Sector 26, to admit students even as it was de-recognised, provided it followed admission norms for EWS admissions.

UT’s argument was that the school in question did not admit students recommended by UT. Hence, the December 2023 order be modified.

The application was filed in a bunch of matters related to de-recognition notices to some schools, who claimed themselves to be minority institutes. In some petitions, schools, who are admitting students, they have claimed that payment for admitting students is not being made by the UT education department.

One of the counsels appearing for a school had told the court that it was the schools’ responsibility to admit the students, but it was the state’s responsibility to reimburse the institution. As of now, a huge amount was outstanding, which was to be reimbursed and non-payment of which was causing financial instability to the institution, which issue should also be dealt with so that the school did not face any financial crunch, St Kabir’s counsel had told the court.

The court, while deferring the hearing for March 23, observed that as the students were being admitted after court’s intervention, the decision about the reimbursement be taken with an “open mind irrespective of any decision already taken” in view of the concerns raised by the schools.

The city has a total of 82 private schools out of which 22 are minority schools, but only two schools have got a no-objection certificate from the UT administration, which is mandatory to obtain the status. As many as 13 of these schools had opted for the minority status after 2012.

There has been a spurt for minority status after the 2012 Supreme Court order that held that minority institutes were not bound to reserve seats for EWS category students under the RTE Act.

UT had slapped de-recognition notices on schools in 2016-17, a dispute which is still pending in courts. In 2023, Vivek High School and St Kabir School, both of whom claim to be minority institutions, were de-recognised by the UT administration for not admitting EWS students. However, the schools procured stay orders from the court on the condition that they would admit the students.