SC refrains from passing order on Sanskriti School’s quota abolition

The Supreme Court on Wednesday refrained from passing any order on a plea of Centre challenging the Delhi high court decision quashing 60 per cent quota in the prestigious Sanskriti School here for wards of Group-A government officials. “Without hearing, we cannot pass any order,” a Bench comprising justices A R Dave and A K Goel said and posted the matter for hearing on January 4. “We do not want to say anything,” the Bench further said as Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi questioned the reasoning given by the HC in its verdict and senior advocate K K Venugopal, appearing for the school, sought SC’s nod to go for the advertisement process for admission at its risk. Rohatgi questioned how the HC can suo-motu take notice of the matter and pass directions without being contested. He submitted that the judgement would change the entire character of the school, which is one of the best in the city, set-up by the central government with 60 per cent seats for Group-A government officials. “You cannot convert it into Kendra Vidyalaya,” he said and questioned the suo-motu cognisance taken by the HC of the matter pending since 2006. Venugopal said SC should allow the school to come out with the admission advertisement from third week of December. Some of the advocates appearing for prospective admission seekers opposed the Centre’s submission. While setting aside the 60 per cent quota in Sanskriti School the high court in it November 6 judgement had said that it was “akin to the erstwhile segregation of white and black students in the US and violated constitutional provisions of equality and right to education”.