Over 3,500 applicants under the Economically Weaker Sections category could not be admitted to Delhi schools in the 2025-26 academic year, largely due to factors such as parents declining seats because of distance from schools and non-completion of documentation, according to official data. The data from the Directorate of Education (DoE) stated that 29,706 EWS students were admitted in 2025-26 against 33,212 applications, while 3,506 cases of non-admission were recorded. In the preceding academic year, 202425, 26,197 students secured admission out of 28,799 applicants, with 2,603 students not admitted, the data revealed. The department said that non-admission in several cases occurred as parents declined allotted seats due to long commuting distance, children were already enrolled in other schools, or required documents were not submitted within the stipulated time. Some applicants were absent during regional-level document verification or could not produce valid certificates, ...