New Delhi: The Delhi high court on Monday issued notice to the Delhi government on two petitions brought on behalf of private schools seeking quashing of an order by which the government sought to scrap management quota and other criteria for nursery admissions in private schools.

The court, however, said that to avoid confusion in the ongoing admission process, parents need to fill forms as per criteria already uploaded by schools but their scrutiny would be subject to the final outcome in the case.

In a bid to make the admissions process transparent, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on 6 January scrapped management quota and all other quotas with the exception of a 25% for economically weaker sections.

Justice Manmohan, before whom the matter was brought, questioned the Delhi government over how it could operate without legal sanction and the reason for the delay in issuing the order.

The court also observed that there was an earlier single-judge order of the Delhi high court which had granted autonomy to schools to decide on criteria for admission. The matter is still pending before the court.

Calling the order “arbitrary, discriminatory and one without legal sanction”, Rajiv Narula, representing Action Committee of Unaided Recognised Private Schools, told the court, “Delhi government did not have jurisdiction to pass such an order. Also, autonomy of the private schools cannot be questioned. Autonomy has also been recognised under the Delhi School Education Act, 1973.”

Seeking a stay on the Delhi government order, pleas by Forum for Protection of Quality Education For all and Action Committee of Unaided Recognised Schools, a body of more than 400 private unaided schools functioning in Delhi, moved the court on 15 January.

The two bodies, representing various private schools across Delhi, claimed that the order of the Delhi government was “one without any jurisdiction and liable to be quashed”.

The matter will be heard next on 28 January.

[“source-Livemint”]