Unaided pvt schools in Delhi move SC on nursery admission

Delhi's private unaided schools has approached the Supreme Court challenging new guidelines issued by the Lieutenant Governor for nursery admission which abolished 20 per cent management quota.

Action Committee of Unaided Recognised Private Schools and Forum for Promotion of Quality Education for All challenged the order of the Delhi High Court which had on January 20 refused to stay the guidelines and ordered the Delhi government to immediately notify new dates of admission.

The Lieutenant Governor, on December 18 and 27, had issued the guidelines by which various steps, including weightage to neighbourhood kids and abolition of 20 per cent management quota, were taken. In a major setback to unaided private schools, the high court had dismissed their plea for interim stay, saying that any interference will prove "detrimental" to the interests of children.

"We, therefore, are of the view that the appellants have not been able to satisfy us of any irreparable loss and injury to them from the non-grant of the interim order sought. We are further in agreement with the learned single judge that any interference at this stage would create confusion and would be detrimental to the interests of children as well as parents of the wards who are seeking admission," the high court had said.

The bench, in its 32-page judgement, had rejected schools' plea against scrapping of contentious management quota also.

"We have also enquired from the senior counsel for the appellants (schools) to how deprivation for admission through the management quota causes loss to the schools. The schools are not entitled to charge any capitation fee or any excess amount from the students admitted through management quota also," it had said.

PTI