New Delhi: Despite multiple safeguards designed to ensure educational access, thousands of children from economically vulnerable families in Delhi continue to miss out on school admissions each year. Government data shows a significant number of seats reserved for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) remain vacant, pointing to clear gaps between policy intent and actual implementation.
Vacant Seats Persist Despite Increased Availability
In the 2025–26 academic year, private unaided schools in Delhi had 33,212 EWS seats available. However, only 29,706 children secured admission, leaving 3,506 seats unfilled. This situation has worsened compared to the previous year. In 2024–25, out of 28,799 allotted seats, 2,602 remained vacant. Although 4,413 additional seats were added within a year, 904 more children were left without admission, underscoring a persistent structural problem.
Officials and education experts say these figures expose a system where access, awareness, and enforcement lag behind policy goals. The trend is not new. Data from the past six years reveals consistently high numbers of vacant EWS seats, with the situation particularly severe during and after the pandemic.
A Historical Look at the Numbers
In 2020-21, out of 47,647 seats, a staggering 14,406 went unfilled. Vacancies stood at 10,376 in 2021-22, dropping to 9,994 in 2022-23. While the percentage of vacant seats has declined over time—from 29.21% in 2021-22 to 10.55% in 2025-26—the absolute numbers remain significant and troubling.
Why Are Seats Going Unfilled?
Under Section 12(1)(c) of the Right to Education (RTE) Act, 2009, all private unaided non-minority schools must reserve 25% of their entry-level seats for children from EWS, disadvantaged groups, and children with disabilities. Yet, implementation faces multiple hurdles.
Education department officials identify several key reasons for non-admission. One common issue is parents declining allotted seats due to long travel distances, especially when schools are located far from their neighborhoods. "Some families choose newer government schools instead, particularly when the allotted private preschool is inconveniently located," a Delhi government official explained.
However, activists argue that as schools shut their doors on eligible applicants, many children from vulnerable families are excluded, even as reserved seats stay empty. These students often end up joining government schools near their homes.
Documentation and Awareness Challenges
Another critical factor involves documentation hurdles. Parents frequently fail to submit required documents like income certificates, valid OBC and non-creamy layer (NCL) certificates, or they do not appear for zonal-level verification. In several cases, mismatches between a parent's name and caste certificate led to rejection.
Officials also cited instances where children already secured admission elsewhere, or admissions were taken initially and later withdrawn. The data on complaints reflects this ongoing churn. In 2024–25, the education department received 553 complaints related to non-admission under the EWS quota. This number fell to 331 in 2025–26, of which 267 were resolved.
Experts contend the problem runs deeper than paperwork. Parents are often unaware of the quota or the admission process, or they distrust private schools due to a lack of clear information. Most work in the informal sector and struggle to arrange income proof and other documents within strict deadlines.
Systemic Issues and Allegations of Manipulation
Officials acknowledge that delays in government reimbursement have made some private schools reluctant to admit EWS students. "While the number of applications increased over the years, the gap between demand and actual admissions continues," the official noted.
Activists insist that without greater awareness, smoother processes, and timely reimbursements, vacancies will persist. Education activist and lawyer Ashok Agarwal attributes the issue to weak oversight and deliberate manipulation by schools. "Parents tend to avoid smaller or lesser-known primary schools and aim only for top institutions. Schools themselves often turn families away, claiming their EWS quota is full," he said. "Harassment plays a role too, as parents get discouraged and drop out."
Regarding the declining number of EWS seats over the years, Agarwal alleged that some schools manipulate admissions by reducing nursery-level seats, shifting students across classes, and under-reporting entry-level strength to justify fewer EWS seats. "There is a complete lack of government supervision. There should be a proper mechanism to ensure that once a seat is allotted, the child actually gets it," he emphasized.
Broader Consequences and Future Concerns
The consequences extend beyond entry-level admissions. In the past two years, 37 EWS students were transferred from private schools to government schools after failing examinations, raising concerns about academic support and retention within private institutions.
Experts warn that unless the government strengthens enforcement, improves grievance redressal, and supports families through the admission process, vacant EWS seats will continue to represent missed opportunities for Delhi's most vulnerable children. The structural gaps in policy implementation need urgent attention to ensure every child gets the education they are entitled to by law.
