HC Direction to TN Education Dept

Chennai, June 3, 2015: The Madras High Court today directed the State Education Department to display on its website within three days the number of seats in the 25 per cent quota available for disadvantaged and weaker sections with different educational institutions.

The Education Department should place the details before this Court by an affidavit such as "how many seats have been utilized and how many are vacant in the 25 per cent reservation quota, so that necessary directions may be issued to endeavour to fill up even the balance seats if any," the first bench, comprising Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice T.S. Sivagnanam, said.

The benchm, after perusing the counter filed by the state Education department, in its order also directed the counsel for CBSE and HRD Ministry to file an affidavit within four weeks on the issue of funding raised by the Department and posted the matter for further hearing to July 6.

A PIL was filed by CHANGE INDIA (a centre for Advocacy and Research), Chennai, seeking a direction to the Department of School Education to create a transparent online single window method to monitor and streamline the process of admissions under RTE (Right to Education) Act,2009 and to make arrangements for free books, uniforms and other aids to students of disadvantaged groups/weaker sections.

When the matter came up, D Krishna Kumar, counsel for the Education Department, gave an undertaking that steps have been taken and will continue to be taken to ensure wide publicity to help students to apply in the 25 per cent quota.

It was also submitted that vacant seats which are not filled under 25 per cent reservation category are to be kept vacant till the end of this November in terms of Tamil Nadu Right of Children to Free and compulsory Education Rules 2011.

PTI