According to senior Education officials, in case the lottery system is implemented, the schools will mostly likely have the option to conduct a separate draw of lots for applicants with siblings in the same school.

“This draw will be completely independent of the draw for the general category, in which students who don’t have any siblings in that school will be clubbed. This way, applicants with siblings in the same school will have a better chance,” an official said.

Meanwhile, Education minister Arvinder Singh Lovely told Newsline on Tuesday that parents can expect full clarity on the admission process by the end of this week or early next. “We are studying the issue from all angles and hope to come up with a decision soon,” he said.

The decision to use the lottery system as a criteria for selection has come under severe criticism from parents and the city schools. They argue that the lottery system is based on luck and makes it virtually impossible to send all their children to the same school.

In contrast, the point system relies on different criteria and allocates additional points to applicants with siblings in a particular school, significantly increasing their chances.

The new rules also abolish the reservation of seats for the management and the schools are are now demanding a separate category in the lottery system for this quota as well. A senior Education official, however, said the department is yet to take a call on this.

For now, Education officials are awaiting the Law department’s advice on the definition of “random” selection as mandated by the Right to Education legislation under which the lottery system is to be enforced.

“Any decision will be taken once the Law department’s opinion is in,” an official said.