Centre scraps MP quota in Kendriya Vidyalayas; 40,000 seats freed up
There has been a long-pending demand from MPs to either do away with the quota or increase the number of students who can be admitted based on recommendations.
By Newsmeter Network Published on 27 April 2022 7:26 AM GMT
New Delhi: The central government has scrapped the discretionary Member of Parliament (MP) quota for admissions to Kendriya Vidyalayas (KVs). The move will free up over 40,000 seats in the centrally funded schools. The KVs issued revised admission guidelines on Monday.
The move comes a week after the Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS) put admissions under 'special provisions', including the MP quota, on hold till further orders.
Under the KVS Special Dispensation Admission Scheme or MP quota, a Member of Parliament had the power to recommend a maximum of 10 students from their respective constituencies every academic year for admissions in classes 1 to 9.
There has been a long-pending demand from MPs to either do away with the quota or increase the number of students who can be admitted based on recommendations.
According to the revised guidelines issued by the KVS, several amendments have been made under the 'special provisions' section of the admission policy. Other than the MP quota, the KVS has also removed other reservations, including 100 children of education ministry employees, children and dependent grandchildren of MPs and retired KV employees, and a discretionary quota of school management committee chairman, among others.
Also, the new guidelines stated that children orphaned due to the Covid-19 pandemic will be considered for admission over and above the class strength under PM CARES for Children Scheme.
The admission of such students will be done based on the list given by the District Magistrate of the concerned District, subject to 10 children per KV and a maximum of two children per class, the Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan said.
"These children will be exempted from payment of fees (Tuition fee, Computer fund, and VVN) from Classes I to XII," it added.
On March 21, Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan urged the Lok Sabha to collectively debate and decide whether the MP quota in KVs should continue or not. Following his appeal, Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla suggested that there could be an all-party meeting to debate the matter.
According to official data, during 2021-22, 7,301 students, including SC ā 609, ST ā 212, OBC ā 1,811, and EWS ā 55, were admitted through MP quotas across 1,248 KVs in India.
