HC rejects point system of nursery admission, calls it irrational

New Delhi: The point system of nursery admissions devised by the Lt Governor for private unaided schools was on Friday quashed by the Delhi High Court which said the government’s decision was “neither procedurally proper nor rational”.

Justice Manmohan said the private unaided schools have the fundamental right to “maximum autonomy in day-to-day administration, including right to admit students”. The court also said that “children should have the option to go to a neighbourhood school, but their choice cannot be restricted to a school in their locality”.

“This court is unable to appreciate that a student’s educational fate can be relegated to his position on a map,” Justice Manmohan said in his 69-page judgement. The court was also of the opinion that the “neighbourhood concept was better taken of by private unaided schools both in terms of guidelines laid down in the Ganguly Committee report as well as under the earlier admission order of 2007…”.

“Consequently, the impugned office orders being violative of the fundamental rights of the school management to maximum autonomy in day-to-day administration, including right to admit students as well as the fundamental right of children through their parents to choose a school… are quashed quo private unaided schools with regard to 75 per cent general category nursery seats”.

The court passed the judgement while disposing of two petitions by a committee and a forum representing private schools which had challenged the LG’s 18 December and 27 December notifications of last year by which the point system was introduced.

Under the earlier system, out of a total 100 points, 70 were given if the child lives in the neighbourhood of the school, additional 20 were given if a sibling is studying there, five points more if either parent is an alumni and another five points if it is an inter-state transfer case. Draw of lots were held at each point level.

Thereafter, the government had on 27 February issued an order abolishing the five points that were being awarded in inter-state transfer cases.

PTI