Delhi HC to pronounce judgement on nursery admission matter next week

New Delhi [India], Feb. 9 (ANI): The Delhi High Court on Thursday concluded arguments and reserved its judgement in the nursery admission case. The court is likely to pronounce its judgement by next week on whether January 7 notification of Delhi Lieutenant Governor regarding neighbourhood criteria will apply for admissions this year. The order is expected to come by February 14. Earlier, the court stated it to be a 'race against time' and added that it has to decide the plea on nursery admissions within a 'very tight schedule'. Justice Manmohan was referring to the deadline of February 14 for submission of nursery application forms in Delhi schools. The court heard the arguments by petitioners, including section of parents and two school groups challenging the Delhi government's December 19, 2016 and January 7 notifications that made 298 private schools, built on Delhi Development Authority (DDA) land, to accept nursery forms based only on the neighbourhood or distance criteria. The school's advocate replied that the issue can be bifurcated since due to the new circulars, a fresh ground of discrimination between two school groups has cropped up. The school association argued that interest of 298 schools has to be safeguarded and being the government, it should not discriminate between students, more so, when there is no definition of neighbourhood criteria in the letter allotting land to the schools. The High Court had also asked the Centre and the Delhi government to produce before it the allotment letters on the basis of which neighbourhood criteria was said to be imposed. The two school groups Action Committee of Unaided Recognised Private Schools, Forum for Promotion of Quality Education and parents have contended that these circulars are bad in law and have curtailed their fundamental rights. (ANI)