Delhi HC stays govt's circular on pvt minority unaided schools

"There is a huge gap in demand and supply. You raise the standard of your schools before interfering in the functioning of the private schools," the court said, adding that "you will be shocked to know that on ground level, none of the parents want to admit their children in your schools. Think about the future generation. Will government school help the next generation," the court said while staying the operation of the circular on nursery admission norms with regard to private unaided minority schools.

Staying the January 7 notification that makes it mandatory for private unaided minority schools to admit children in nursery classes in the unreserved category on the basis of neighbourhood criteria, the court which heard the matter through the day, said: "They are free to devise their own procedures and should be treated differently."

The court, which rapped the AAP government's Department of Education (DoE) for issuing such a notification "at the eleventh hour putting everyone in a chaos-like situation including the parents whose wards are to be admitted in the current academic year," said the "government in future should make an endeavour to frame such policy, if any, at least six months in advance, if not earlier."

"Prima facie, the Delhi government notification dated January 7, 2017 is contrary to the constitutional mandate. This court is also of the prima facie view that the fundamental right of minority schools cannot be interfered with and their right to admit students cannot be taken away.