Nursery Admissions in Delhi NCR 2025-26
Form Dates | Admission Criteria | Results | Fee Details | List of All Schools
Private schools cannot make their own admission criteria: High Court - PTI/IBN7/HT/TOI
Private schools cannot make their own admission criteria: High Court
Press Trust of India
New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday said the Centre and the city government cannot "dilute" the the Right to Education Act by allowing unaided private schools to formulate their own criteria for nursery admissions. "You (HRD Ministry and Delhi government) cannot the dilute the provision of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act (commonly referred to as Right To Education). By allowing them (schools) to formulate their own admission criteria, you are giving preference to one child over another, which is against the Act," a bench comprising Chief Justice D Murugesan and Justice V K Jain said.
The court also said the whole ongoing nursery admission process here would "go" if it decides to "quash" the notification issued on December 15, 2010 by the Directorate of Education (DoE) on behalf of Delhi government. Ashok Agarwal, appearing for NGO Social Jurist which has filed the PIL, said the notification has "given a totally free hand to all unaided recognised private schools to formulate their own nursery admission criteria based on categorisation of children....".
"This is contrary to Section 13 of the Act which says that there would be no screening process of either parents or of kids and no child would be discriminated against. It also provided that admission would be taken by way of draw of lots and the neighbourhood would be only criteria," he said adding separate guidelines cannot be framed by schools.
Despite the provision being "clear", the schools have been formulating their own guidelines and according preferences on grounds such as religion, alumni and sibling. This is not permissible as it propagates discrimination, he said. The court would hear the case tomorrow also.
High Court talks tough on nursery admission norms- HT
Harish V Nair, Hindustan Times
New Delhi, January 24, 2013
New Delhi, January 24, 2013
The Delhi High Court on Wednesday said it will not hesitate to quash the 2010 government notification on nursery admission rules if it violated the Right to Education (RTE) Act. Every year, the city’s private schools fix the admission criteria based on the 2010 notification. Its
quashing is likely to affect the ongoing admission process as the court held, “Students are being selected in accordance with the notification and even if the admission process has begun, the study session begins only in April”. The development comes a fortnight before the schools will release their first list.
A bench of Chief Justice D Murugesan and Justice VK Jain is likely to pronounce its verdict on Thursday. The bench made these strong remarks after lawyers of the Centre, Delhi government and the association of private schools failed to provide convincing replies to their pointed queries on the validity of the admission criteria being followed by the schools vis-à-vis the RTE.
The court was hearing a PIL that challenged the point system being followed by private schools as a “violation of the RTE Act”. Petitioner Ashok Aggarwal of NGO Social Jurist told the court that only distance should be allowed as a criteria and students should be selected through draw of lots. He argued that the criteria of sibling, alumni and first child were “discriminatory”.
The Centre had issued nursery admission guidelines for the entire country on November 23, 2010, giving private schools the liberty to formulate their own guidelines based on categorisation of children. The Delhi Government went a step further, allowing schools to form criteria like sibling, alumni etc.
Disallowing the plea of the association of private schools to hear out each school, the bench said: “If the government notification is quashed, schools guidelines will automatically stand quashed. We need not look into the guidelines of each school”. “The RTE Act supersedes all notifications. How could the state government amend the centre’s notification?” The bench asked.
HC order on nursery norms likely today- TOI
NEW DELHI: Indicating trouble for the city's private unaided schools, Delhi high court on Wednesday said unless the government's 2010 notification is in sync with the Right to Education Act, it might be quashed.
The notification has been relied upon by the schools to fix their admission criteria for nursery admissions and these have been challenged by an NGO in court.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice D Murugesan and Justice V K Jain heard the petitioner NGO Social Jurist, the state government, the Centre and the association of schools at length on Wednesday while making it clear it won't hesitate to quash the notification if found arbitrary.
HC fixed Thursday for further hearing into the case when it might give a verdict on the validity of the notification, which has been challenged before the court on the ground that it permits schools to promote inequality and discriminate in admissions despite clear cut mandate of the RTE Act.
Appearing for the NGO advocate Ashok Aggarwal told HC that the RTE Act envisages just the "neighborhood criteria and draw of lots" as permissible ways to pick and choose candidates for admission, but the schools have come up with their own criteria leading to discrimination.
The notification has been relied upon by the schools to fix their admission criteria for nursery admissions and these have been challenged by an NGO in court.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice D Murugesan and Justice V K Jain heard the petitioner NGO Social Jurist, the state government, the Centre and the association of schools at length on Wednesday while making it clear it won't hesitate to quash the notification if found arbitrary.
HC fixed Thursday for further hearing into the case when it might give a verdict on the validity of the notification, which has been challenged before the court on the ground that it permits schools to promote inequality and discriminate in admissions despite clear cut mandate of the RTE Act.
Appearing for the NGO advocate Ashok Aggarwal told HC that the RTE Act envisages just the "neighborhood criteria and draw of lots" as permissible ways to pick and choose candidates for admission, but the schools have come up with their own criteria leading to discrimination.
Replies to This Discussion
-
Permalink Reply by Rahul Gupta on
-
Nothing would happen. Schools have already flouted the lists and started the admission process. Renowned names like DPS, Modern Convent etc had their own guidelines which are against RTE Act.
We appreciate Mr. Ashok Agarwal & Mr. Sumit Vohra for bringing these points in light however no schools will follow the fee guidelines or admission critriea if even H'ble Court forces the verdict.
-
-
@Rahul: Can feel your frustration. But the changes you see every year are because of the persistent work being put in by people like Ashok and Sumit. Removal of RAA which has been going on for four years is a case in point. Even if nothing happens this year - this is a great start. Hope for the best - but be prepared either way!
-
-
So why some schools are giving points to Catholic Christians as many as 50 points.
-
Permalink Reply by Sakshi (Moderator) on
-
@Neeraj, Minority School have been given this right by GOVT OF INDIA.
-
-
Not everything's that's sanctioned by the Government of India can be considered fair. The present fight is also against something that was duly sanctioned by the government, isn't it?
-
-
Sukesh,It will take more time .The hearing had not commenced till 2 .15 pm
-
-
If the Hon'ble court quashes the current process, there would be many parents affected by such a judgement. Specially, schools that have already come out with their lists. I wouldn't want any parent to go through the thrill of getting through the school of their choice only to be told later on .. it was all a big mistake! Why do we always come out which such judgments after the whole process has started? This is not the first time .. something of this nature happens every year. Last year it was to do with age limits, year before that it was to do with the criteria .. and the year before that it was to do with the girl child! Why can't the Govt/courts come up with a clear set of guidelines well in advance?
-
-
STATUS OF PIL AGAINST NURSERY ADMISSIONS CRITERIA OF PRIVATE SCHOOL IN HIGH COURT
THE CASE WILL BE CONTINUED ON MONDAY AT 2 PM
-
Permalink Reply by Lathaa Manavalan on
-
Sakshi Mam
Thanks for your update.
-
-
The honourable court pointed in the right direction i.e. admission based on neighbourhood criteria only bcoz the schools were given land (& that too on concessional rates) for providing quality education for the benefit of local area & not entire delhi. Further their is no logic in points criteria like sibling, alumni that leads to clear cut discrimination.
-
-
Also a word of appreciation for Mr Agarwal & Mr Vohra for their unrelenting efforts to draw the attention of honourable court, govt. authorities &public.
- ‹ Previous
- 1
- 2
- 3
- Next ›
About
Latest Activity
- Top News
- Everything
© 2025 Created by Sumit Vohra (Webmaster).
Powered by
