HC seeks Delhi govt's reply on plea challenging DoE circular

The Delhi High Court has sought the city government's response on a plea challenging a Directorate of Education (DoE) circular to hold entrance tests for admitting students in Class IX in state-run schools.
Justice Manmohan issued notice to Delhi government and sought its reply within four weeks on the petition filed on behalf of a 14-year-old girl, who had failed to clear three tests held by DoE this year for admissions to Class IX in government schools.
According to DoE's circulars, the entrance tests were mandatory for "non-plan admissions" to Class IX.
The girl, along with her mother, had moved to Delhi from Uttarakhand this year as her father was staying here.

After failing to clear the tests, when she sought admission in a government school near her home here, she was not admitted on the ground that she had not passed the test, despite having a valid transfer certificate from her earlier school, her petition said.
The petition, filed through advocate Ashok Aggarwal, has contended that the DoE circulars are "illegal, arbitrary, discriminatory and unconstitutional" and go against the letter and spirit of the Constitution as well as provisions of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act.
"It is submitted that such a condition of admission test is a super-imposition over a clear and express provision of RTE Act," the petition has said, adding that "Subjecting petitioner-student to admission-test for Class IX tantamount to holding her back in Class VIII."

The court has listed the matter for further hearing on November 24.