The Delhi High Court on Friday granted interim relief to two minority-run schools by staying the operation of certain provisions of the city government's nursery admission guidelines. Justice Manmohan granted relief to St Thomas Higher Secondary School and Mata Jai Kaur Public School.
Earlier this month, the court had granted similar relief to the Society of Catholic Schools of the Archdiocese of Delhi and the Forum of Minority Schools, which represented nearly 50 institutions and also St Columba's School while observing that minority schools are free to devise their own procedures for admission of students and should be treated "differently".
A division bench of Delhi High Court has already reserved its order on the plea of Action Committee of Unaided Private School against nursery admission guidelines which has given 70 per cent weightage to neighbourhood criterion while doing away with the management quota. The nursery admissions, which were to start from January 15, have now been postponed till the high court pronounces its order.
The Delhi government had told the court that it will not start the admission process before its order. Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung had on 18 December issued new guidelines for nursery admission for the session 2014-15.
The neighbourhood criteria, which seeks schools to give preference to children living within a radius of six km from school, has been given maximum weightage with 70 points out of 100 in the open category seats. Later, the LG enhanced the criteria to 8 km.
Besides these, the applicants who have sibling studying in the same school will get 20 points and five points will be added by default in the application of girls and wards of school alumni. The guidelines also seek the minority schools to have 25 per cent seats reserved, like other schools, for the economically weaker sections and disadvantaged groups of the society.
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