SC notice to Delhi LG on four parents' plea on nursery admissions

The Supreme Court Friday issued notice to Delhi lt. governor and the education department on a petition by four parents seeking admission of their wards in nursery class under inter-state category on the basis of the court's verdict that admission criteria could not be altered after the process has started.

A bench of Justice Jagdish Singh Khehar and Justice C. Nagappan issued notice after it was told that the parents of four kids had applied for admission under inter-state category in pursuance to a Dec 18, 2013 notification by the lt. governor.

Saying that the notices were returnable within a week, the court declined to issue any direction to schools concerned to consider the admission of four wards of the petitioners.

"The May 7 directions were in respect of 24 children only. How can school consider your cases," the court said when counsel for the four parents urged the court for direction to schools.

The apex court had May 7 revoked the suspension of nursery admissions, saying that only the children of parents who have moved the court for admission under inter-state quota, would be admitted to the schools where they have applied.

"In our considered opinion, it was not permissible for the administration to alter the basis of admission after the admission process had started and further having participated in the selection process the criteria for selection could not have been questioned by unsuccessful participants," the court said in its May 7 verdict.

"We direct that these 24 candidates shall get admission, if not at all admitted, being the successful candidates under the inter-state transfer category under notification dated 18th December, 2013."

The entire dispute arose after lt. governor issued a fresh notification on Feb 27 by which it excluded the category of inter-state transfer cases in wake of reports of alleged fake applications.