Chandigarh, Feb. 11 -- As the EWS/DG admissions registration portal has been closed, the UT administration has received 3,286 applications for 866 available seats in private unaided recognised schools across the city-roughly four students competing for every seat. According to officials, the applications are currently undergoing verification before the next stage of the process. The EWS/DG admissions cycle opened in December 2025 when the UT education department launched the centralised online portal for parents to apply to entry-level classes across 57 designated private schools. Under the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 25% of entry-level seats in unaided non-minority schools must be reserved for children from economically weaker sections and disadvantaged groups (EWS/DG), including SC children, children with disabilities and orphans. However, the process has been clouded by disputes over reimbursements and implementation. A few schools, including Vivek High School and St Kabir School, have voiced concerns about delayed payments from the UT education department. They claim that the administration has yet to clear pending dues related to previous EWS admissions cycles. HS Mamik, president of the Independent Schools Association (ISA), which represents more than 77 private schools in the tricity, said schools had urged officials not to forward student lists until outstanding payments were cleared. "The administration should ensure that reimbursement obligations are fulfilled before sending us the EWS admissions data," he said. The reimbursement issue is also before the Punjab and Haryana High Court, where schools have challenged the UT's approach of reimbursing only 10% of seats despite the 25% reservation mandate under RTE Act. The next hearing is scheduled for February 19. Gurpreet Bakshi, administrator of St Kabir Public School, said the institution was not opposed to EWS admissions but expected financial clarity from the administration. "We support EWS admissions in principle, but the government has a legal responsibility to reimburse schools for their dues. When we receive the students' data, we will seek a clear plan on how and when the pending payments will be settled," he said. In a clarification, director school education Nitish Singla said that as per the department's records, reimbursements had already been released to the majority of schools. He added that if any institution was still awaiting payment, its dues would be cleared. On the dispute over reimbursement for 10% versus 25% seats, Singla said the matter is sub judice and the final course of action would be decided in accordance with the court's ruling. As per the schedule, a computerised draw of lots will be conducted on February 25 to randomly allot seats to eligible applicants, maintaining transparency and fairness. The first list of selected candidates is expected thereafter, and schools will complete admissions after document verification. The centralised draw system, introduced to simplify EWS/DG admissions, prohibits manual processing by individual schools and aims to curb irregularities, ensuring compliance with RTE provisions and giving disadvantaged children a fair shot at quality education....