Nursery Admissions in Delhi NCR 2026-27

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Times of India Dec 14 ~Nursery picture hazy again

Nursery picture hazy again

Cloud Over Admission Norms Following Protests, Hung House

Shreya Roy Chowdhury TNN

New Delhi: Just when there appeared to be some clarity in the nursery admission process, the waters are muddied again. In less than a week of the Directorate of Education announcing that the lieutenant governor has decided the “present criteria”—for the 2013-2014 session—will continue in the next session, there seems to be a change of status. Following a protest and representation by lawyer-activist group Social Jurist to the LG, it is uncertain whether the 2014-15 session will be governed by the old rules or a new set. And the prospect of a hung assembly is adding to the delay.
    Meanwhile, Delhi government has asked the high court to grant the LG more time for deciding the process—a request HC may allow or refuse. The government as well as LG office sources say the situation will be clearer in a few days.
    Members of Social Jurist, however, are more certain of the outcome. “We have been assured by the secretary to the LG that the old system will be put on hold. In case no government is formed, the LG will decide on the matter within four days and if a government is formed, he will decide within a week. We are very optimistic the decision will be in our favour,” says Khagesh Jha of Social Jurist. Lawyer and Aam Aadmi Party national executive-member Ashok Aggarwal led the protest. The LG-office version is different. “Since education is a transferred subject, the LG had earlier decided that till the new administration comes into power, it would not be advisable to change the system. Now, if the government is formed, the LG will decide on the advice of the government; if it doesn’t form, the LG will decide,” said an official.
    The process followed for nursery admissionhas been challenged in court several times by Social Jurist, which argues it amounts to screening and is, therefore, a violation of the RTE Act. After much back and forth, they made a representation to the LG, citing a 2007 Delhi government circular. When LG didn’t take action, they filed a petition in the HC, which in September directed the LG to decide on the matter by December 17. With the time for admissions approaching, the LG “instructed” DoE to go with the existing system for the forthcoming session and ask for more time from HC to decide on long-term changes. Social Jurist responded with a representation demanding that new guidelines be formulated and implemented from the forthcoming session itself.
    The flip-flop and prospect of delay, if HC allows it, mean trouble for schools and parents. “We are waiting till the 17th. After which, as NPSC, we plan to meet the LG,” says Ameeta Mulla Wattal, principal Springdales School (Pusa Road) and chairperson, Nation Progressive Schools Conference, “How long can we wait? We have to get the forms out and this is vacation time. Schools will soon start closing down.”
LEGAL ROADMAP
2007 | Delhi govt allows schools to formulate own criteria for nursery admission
2009 | Right to Education Act passed
2010 | HRD ministry issues notification allowing categorization; Directorate of Education (DoE), Delhi govt, issues order based on the notification
2010 | Social Jurist, an activist body, challenges both HRD and DoE notifications, claiming categorization is not permissible under RTE Act and it amounts to ‘screening’
FEB 2013 | HC decides RTE Act is not admissible with respect to nursery admissions. RTE applicable for kids below 6 yrs only in case of EWS admissions.
    MHRD notification invalidated; 2007 notification back into force which has provision for the aggrieved to appeal to LG
    Social Jurist writes to LG requesting amendment to Recognized Schools (Admission Procedure for Pre-Primary Class) Order, 2007
APR | LG doesn’t decide; fresh petition filed in HC seeking direction to LG
SEPT | HC directs LG to take decision within 3 months
DEC 9 | DoE announces it has received instruction from LG office that ‘the present criteria for admission to primary, preprimary and nursery schools should continue for 2014’. DoE also says it’ll seek more time from HC for LG to decide on ‘long-term changes’
DEC 13 | Social Jurist approaches LG, demanding changes this session itself

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Permalink Reply by mahesh jain on December 14, 2013 at 7:52am

and give a clear chance to schools which run like a "baniya shop" .....to earn more money

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Permalink Reply by Dr Neha on December 14, 2013 at 7:54am

Social Jurist has been doing it for last 2-3 years but never succeded and we parents are at the receiving end till 11th hour even after filling the forms.

I can tell you there would be no change in guidelines by their protest.