HC seeks Govt's reply on pvt school's plea on Nat Edu Policy

The Delhi High Court has sought the reply of the Centre on a plea alleging non-representation of thousands of educational and charitable societies running unaided schools in a committee on National Education Policy (NEP) headed by noted scientist K Kasturirangan.
Justice Indermeet Kaur granted a final opportunity to the Ministry of Human Resource Development to file their reply on the Independent Schools Federation of India's plea alleging "complete avoidance of private schools imparting elementary education in the newly constituted Committee".
The court fixed the matter for hearing on October 27.
The federation in their plea filed through advocate Ravi Prakash Gupta submitted that although it was the government's prerogative to constitute such a Committee, it cannot ignore major stake holders in the field of education as the recommendations would ultimately be implemented by them.

"There is no representative of private schools when private educational societies are taking care of about one- third of students enrolled (8.9 crore) but are least consulted in matters of national educational policy," the petition said.
"Issue any appropriate order or direction commanding the Ministry of Human Resource Development to give proportional representation to all stake holders like state governments, state, Central Boards and association of private educational charitable societies in the Committee so constituted under the Chairmanship of K Kasturirangan for framing national policy of education," the plea said.
The HRD ministry had on June 26 constituted a nine-member panel, headed by space scientist K Kasturirangan, to prepare the final draft of the government's NEP.