Delhi government challenges nursery admissions order

The AAP government on Thursday approached the Delhi High Court, challenging a single-judge order that stayed its nursery admissions notification compelling 298 private schools, built on public land, to adopt only neighbourhood criteria.

Filing an appeal before a division bench, Delhi government contended that the single judge was wrong and erroneous and sought setting aside of the February 14 order.

Justice Manmohan in his February 14 order said Delhi government's January 7 notification was "arbitrary and discriminatory".

The notification issued by the Department of Education of Delhi government had made "distance" the primary criterion for admission of tiny tots.

The court had questioned the Delhi government's decision to impose the neighbourhood restriction to only those schools that are built on Delhi Development Authority land.

The notification accorded priority to students living within a radius of one km from the school concerned. In case the seats remain vacant, those living within a distance of 3 km will get the chance for admission.

There are 1,400 private unaided schools in the capital, of which 298 are built on land allotted by the DDA.

The court's judgement came on petitions filed by two school bodies -- the Action Committee of Unaided Recognised Private Schools and Forum for Promotion of Quality Educ ation along with a few parents to challenge the guidelines.

Earlier, the high court stayed the government's nursery admission notification that made it mandatory for private unaided minority schools t o admit students, in the unreserved category, on the basis of neighbourhood criteria.

--IANS

gt/gsh/dg