HC contempt notice to former education director of Delhi

The Delhi High Court has issued a contempt notice to a former Director of Education for disregarding its 2014 order relating to relaxation of age for appointment of special educators in the city schools.
A bench of Justices Vipin Sanghi and Rekha Palli initated the proceedings on its own against the former director of education of Delhi when it was informed that despite court's July 2014 order, the officer had rejected a candidate's request for age relaxation for appointment as special education teacher in September 2014.
"In our view, prima facie, the order dated September 17, 2014 has been passed in complete disregard and disobedience of our decision dated July 10, 2014... Accordingly, we take suo motu cognisance of the situation and issue notice to .... To show cause as to why proceedings for civil contempt under the Contempt of Courts Act be not initiated against her," it said.

The bench also asked the Lieutenant Governor to consider the matter in three weeks as it has been pending for long.
The court had in July 2014, asked the Delhi government to consider relaxing age norms of candidates while recruiting special educators in schools here.
The order had come plea of special educators who were rejected for the post of Special Educator (Primary) in various MCD schools on account of being over-aged.

Advocate Ashok Agarwal, appearing for one such educator, told the court that despite its 2014 order, the plea of the teacher for relaxation of age had been rejected.

The bench said, "the power of age relaxation vests in the LG. After the passing of the judgment dated July 10, 2014, whereby the GNCTD was directed to consider the petitioner's request for grant of age relaxation, the matter should have been placed before the LG. The same has not been done and the request of the petitioner has been rejected by the Director of Education without even placing the matter before the LG."
The court, however, acceded to the request made by additional standing counsel of Delhi government, Sanjay Ghose, to place the matter before the LG for his consideration in view of its 2014 judgement.

"Considering the fact that the matter has been hanging fire for a long time, we request the LG/administrator to bestow his consideration with the next three weeks," it said.
The court made it clear that in case it does not receive the decision before October 10, the next date of hearing, the matter shall proceed.