HC allows nursery admissions to go on, matter ‘subject to final order’

NEWDELHI: The Delhi High Court on Friday allowed 298 private unaided schools here to go ahead with the nursery admission process but said that it will be subject to the final outcome of the city government’s appeal on the issue.

A bench of chief justice G Rohini and justice Sangita Dhingra Sehgal, which was hearing the Delhi government’s appeal against a single judge’s interim order that had stayed its nursery admission directive on the neighbourhood criterion, said that the entire process to admit children will be subject to the final outcome of the matter.

“Having regard to the fact that the admission process is already been in operation, it would not be proper to stop it. We, however, make it clear that whatever steps have been taken by the parties will be subject to the final outcome of the appeal that is pending,” the bench said.

The bench fixed the matter for further hearing on February 22.

It also sought the response of the two school associations and the parents on the Delhi government’s appeal in the case.

Additional solicitor general (ASG) Sanjay Jain, appearing for the Directorate of Education (DoE), submitted that in the absence of the neighbourhood criterion, schools will accept admission in an arbitrary and opaque manner, and even justify charging exorbitant fees from the parents.

Maintaining that the order passed by the single judge was “totally wrong”, “erroneous” and “against the law”, the Delhi government a sought stay on the operation of the interim order.

THE COURT SOUGHT THE RESPONSE OF THE TWO SCHOOL ASSOCIATIONS AND THE PARENTS ON THE GOVT’S APPEAL