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New Delhi: With many schools in the national capital coming out with lists of children selected for nursery admissions, parents and experts are a dejected lot alleging the selection process was far from transparent and carried out in violation of rules.

This season, schools have adopted a lottery system to shortlist candidates in general category who have secured same points. But, parents allege that in many cases the procedure was not transparent and they were not even invited by the schools when they conducted the draw of lots.

Rohini-resident Anuj Saxena, claimed a reputed school of his area had not informed him even though it conducted a lottery for nursery applicants on Thursday.

"This is just not acceptable. How can they conduct a draw of lots and not inform the parents," Saxena asked.

Sharing a similar experience, another disgruntled parent Mohammad Kashif said a school in Mukherjee Marg did not allow them entry as they were just a few minutes late to reach the school.

"We were surprised to see that the school gates were closed and ... those who were outside were not included in the draw. Our child is 4+ and had lost the chance to get admission in the school," he wrote in a posting on admissionsnursery.com -- an online forum of parents.

The forum's founder, Sumit Vohra, said schools are legally bound to call parents when they conduct a draw for the nursery admissions.

"Not calling the parents at the time of draw shows the lottery system lacks transparency," Vohra told a news agency.

However, Dr Usha Ram, Principal of Laxman Public School at Hauz Khas, defended the exercise saying there was no need for calling parents while conducting a draw of lots for the general category.

The school, according to its website, conducted a draw of lots for more than 1,000 applicants who scored 65 points each in the general category. It was carried out on Thursday by the executive council members of the Parents Teachers Association.

"This is purely a violation of rules," acknowledged RP Mallik, chairman of Federation of Public Schools, Delhi.

"They (schools) should inform parents, both from the general and EWS (Economically Weaker Section) category, about the lottery system and transparency needs to be maintained," he said.

Similarly, parents belonging to EWS category allege that many schools have selected candidates for a draw of lots after shortlisting them on point basis which is again a blatant violation of rules.