CENTRAL INFORMATION COMMISSION
Club Building (Near Post Office)
Old JNU Campus, New Delhi - 110067
Tel: +91-11-26161796
Decision No. CIC/SG/C/2011/000083+000084/12800
Complaint No. CIC/SG/C/2011/000083+000084
Relevant Facts
emerging from the Complaint
Complainant : Ms. Geeta Uniyal
4/126-27, TrilokPuri,
Delhi-110091
Respondent : PIO & Deputy Director of Education,
Directorate of Education,
Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi
District East, Government co-ed SS School,
Anand Vihar, Delhi 110092
Facts of the issue:
The Complainant has by way of an Complaint filed under Section 18 has contended before
this Commission that the Complainant had gone to take the admission form under EWS
scheme from the ASN Public School, Mayur Vihar, Phase I on 13 th January 2011 and Salwan
Public School, Mayur Vihar, Phase I; Evergreen Public School, Vasundhra Enclave and St
Mary Senior Secondary School, Mayur Vihar Phase III on 14th January 2011. The
appellant found out that there was no notice board outside the gate giving the appellant any
information regarding the same. Due to non availability of EWS Scheme forms and
information, appellants had to wait for hours and face a lot of inconvenience.
Relevant Facts emerging during Hearing:
The following were present
Complainant: Absent
Respondent: Ms. Neelam Verma, D.D.E, East District
The Respondent has brought proof that all the four schools have put up the boards as per the
directions of this Commission and also ensured that details of the names and addresses of the
children admitted have been put up on the website of the Directorate of Education. She has
also obtained information on the three zones which report to her, and has found as follows:-
Zone No. of Schools under EWS No. of Schools under EWS
Which are required to display the Which have displayed the
information\ information
1 15 07
2 31 25
3 40 11
1
The Respondent has committed that all the schools will comply with the directions before
25th June 2011.
“The Commission had in its Decision No. CIC/SG/C/2009/001627/6018Adjunct-I, directed
the Directorate of Education to ensure that Private Schools install boards giving details of
WES scheme, the operative parts are reproduced below:-
The EWS Scheme is a social welfare scheme aimed at providing access to better quality
education to the economically weaker sections of the society. As per the EWS Scheme, private
schools, which have been given land at nominal rates, are under an obligation to provide seats to
students belonging to the economically weaker sections. Development of human resource by
means of education is imperative for the growth of any nation. Therefore, it is the duty of the
state to provide education to all children. The state, therefore, has decided to provide land at a
nominal charge to private schools who in lieu of the advance payment made by the state in terms
of land are obliged to set aside a certain percentage of seats for poor children. Therefore,
information relating to EWS quota in private schools is extremely crucial to ensure that students
belonging to economically weaker sections get the opportunity to apply to private schools for
good quality education.
Section 4 of the RTI Act refers to the suo moto disclosure of information by a public authority.
Section 4 of the RTI Act requires that the public authority discloses the maximum information on
its own to ensure transparency in its functioning. Suo moto disclosure of information shall ensure
that the general public is aware of the benefits and facilities available to it under several welfare
schemes and will be able to avail of the same. Therefore, information received from schools
pertaining to implementation of EWS Scheme therein must be widely disseminated by the
Directorate of Education. This should be done in two ways:
1) Publishing the information on the website of Directorate of Education; and
2) The Directorate of Education shall ensure that the schools put up boards displaying
relevant information on EWS Scheme in both English and Hindi which are easily visible from
outside the school (as directed by the Commission in its orders dated 21/12/2009 and
26/04/2010).”
The following decision was announced :-
“Adjunct Decision announced on December 14, 2010:
In view of the aforesaid, the Commission hereby directs the Director, Directorate of Education
under its powers under Section 19(8)(a) of the RTI Act to ensure that the following is
implemented in compliance with Section 4 of the RTI Act:
1). All schools will display the following information on a board, which is easily
visible from outside the school:
• The total no of seats in all classes in a school.
• The total vacancies in all classes.
• The total no of seats under EWS quota.
• Seats still available under EWS quota.
• Total applications received under EWS quota.
2
• Information about when the EWS quota applications will be received and
date by which the admissions will be given.
The schools will update the information on the boards once every week. The information
shall be put up in both Hindi and English. The Director, Directorate of Education shall
ensure that the schools comply with the aforesaid direction before December 31, 2010.
Further, the Director, Directorate of Education shall ensure that the aforementioned
information shall also be uploaded on the website of the Directorate of Education
before December 31, 2010″.
In another such matter it was brought to the notice of the Commission that the DDE West -A,
had devised an efficacious method to monitor the availability of the boards at private schools
under that district, where nominees/ authorized officers were listed and each
nominee/observer/authorized officer, Head of Govt. School was directed to monitor the
provisions and procedures in regard to ‘Delhi School Education (Free Seat for Students
Belonging to Economically Weaker Sections and Disadvantage Group) Order 2011 for
overseeing the admission procedure. The Commission hereby recommends to the Director of
Education, Mr. Diwan Chand to consider implementing this system or any other method to
ensure that the suo moto declarations are made constantly and updated regularly.
Decision:
The Complaint is allowed.
The suo moto disclosures have now been made in the schools where the
deficiency was pointed out by the Complainant. The Respondent shall ensure
that the suo moto disclosures in all schools under her jurisdiction shall be done
before 25th June 2011.
This decision is announced in open chamber.
Notice of this decision be given free of cost to the parties.
Any information in compliance with this Order will be provided free of cost as per Section 7(6) of RTI Act.
Shailesh Gandhi
Information Commissioner
9th June 2011
(In any correspondence on this decision, mention the complete decision number.) (ANP)
Copy to:
The Director,
Directorate of Education,
Govt. of NCT of Delhi,
Old Secretariat,
Delhi – 11054
3