17,500 students out of 70,000 provided free books: HC told

The city government today told the Delhi High Court that out of 70,000 children from poor and disadvantaged families, around 17,500 have been provided books free of cost in this academic year.
"Total number of EWS (Economically Weaker Section) and DG (Disadvantaged Group) category children studying in private schools (session 2014-2015) are 68,951.
"Total number of these children getting free text books are 17,497 (371 private schools are providing free teaxt books)," Delhi government's Director of Education (DoE), in its affidavit filed before a bench of justices B D Ahmed and Siddharth Mridul, said.
The affidavit prepared by Padmini Singla, Director DoE, also said around 16,500 children have been provided uniforms free of cost.

Earlier, the court had pulled up the government over its "failure" to provide free books and uniforms to EWS students studying in unaided private schools here.
It had also asked them to file a fresh status report on the number of students in the 6-14 age group in this academic year in schools in both categories as well as the number of students given free books and uniforms.

DoE in its report said 1,092 private schools provided details.
It also said children studying upto Class 8 in government schools were provided free textbooks and a fixed amount for uniforms.
The court was hearing a public interest litigation filed by NGO Justice for All which had alleged that EWS and DG category students of unaided private schools were deprived of free books, uniforms and other study material.

The petition claimed these schools are "grossly" violating the RTE Act and the Delhi RTE Rules which give right to EWS students to get free books and uniforms from schools.
The plea further contended though these schools were receiving reimbursements from the government, they were not providing these items to the students.
"A division bench of this high court had directed the Directorate of Education (DoE) to come out with guidelines in February 2011 but the government failed to do so and schools have been violating the provisions of RTE Act," the plea had said.