New Delhi: The Directorate of Education (DoE) of the Delhi government has issued standard operating procedures (SOPs) for streamlining admissions under the Economically Weaker Section, Disadvantaged Group and Children with Special Needs categories in private schools for the academic session 2025-26.

The process has begun with the annual collection of data on the sanctioned strength of schools, which has already been uploaded on the DoE website, said a circular issued on Thursday.

The DoE will identify seat vacancies and update the information on its portal within seven working days. A committee headed by the DDE district will handle school representations regarding seat allocation. Final seat counts will then be made public and applications invited through a detailed circular, the DoE said.

Admissions will be conducted through a computerised draw of lots, with successful candidates informed through text messages, e-mails or over the phone, the circular read.

Document verification will now be managed by zonal authorities, instead of individual schools. Twenty-nine zonal teams, trained on RTE provisions, will scrutinise the documents within 10 working days of the draw, the circular said.

“If discrepancies are found in submitted documents, candidates will have 15 working days to resolve them. Non-reported candidates will receive an additional five working days to submit their documents,” the DoE said.

Vacant seats due to rejections or non-reporting will be allocated in subsequent computerised draws. The income limit for EWS category admissions has been raised to less than Rs 5 lakh annually. All related circulars will be issued in both Hindi and English, the DoE added.