Arvind Kejriwal scraps all nursery quotas

New Delhi: In a far-reaching decision, the Delhi Government on Wednesday scrapped management and all other quotas except for the Economically Weaker Sections in private schools for nursery admissions and warned institutions violating the the order could be taken over by the education department.

Announcing the decision taken at a meeting of the state’s cabinet, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal called the management quota the breeding ground for “biggest scandal” in the education sector in the country and said his government will not be a “mute spectator” to it.

The government also scrapped 62 “arbitrary and discriminatory” criterias listed by the schools on their websites for admissions. However, the 25 per cent quota for the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) will stay.

The decision came in the midst of the admission process for nursery classes in over 2,500 private schools in the national capital.

“What is management quota? Under it, you get admission if someone is recommended by a chief Minister, education minister, judge, police commissioner, SHOs or by an income tax official. Either it is recommendations or seats are sold.

“Management quota is the biggest scandal in the country which the Delhi Government is scrapping. 75 per cent admissions in the private schools will be under open category. Other than EWS category, there will be no other quota,” Kejriwal told a press conference.

Warning schools of action in case of violations, he said the government will use all available options including take-over.

“If they do not budge, they can be derecognised or government can take them over,” he said, adding “the mafia had captured the education system and made it a business.”

Mr Kejriwal said certain criteria put out by the schools were “very shocking” and in violation of Article 14 of the Constitution relating to equality before law.