Except transfer cases, nursery draws valid: HC

NEW DELHI: Finally, nursery admissions can restart in the city. The Delhi high court on Thursday lifted its stay on the long-delayed admission process, allowing schools to begin admitting children selected in draw of lots as per the points system. The court said applicants with 70 points who were selected in the draw of lots would be given admission. The status of inter-state transfer cases will be decided later
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The Delhi high court on Thursday directed nursery admissions in the city to resume based on the last draw of lots and barred schools from conducting fresh draw of lots. The order came during the hearing on whether a fresh draw of lots was necessary after points allocated to inter-state transfer cases points were scrapped on February 27.

The court also asked the directorate of education (DoE) to submit details of schools along with number of seats which remain vacant after Thursday's order.  

"Appellants who have 70 points under neighborhood criteria and were selected in the draw of lots will not be disturbed. They will be given the admission," a division bench of acting Chief Justice B D Ahmed and Justice Sidharth Mridul said while asking DoE to ensure that students applying under the inter-state transfer category are excluded. HC will hear arguments on transfer cases on April 16.  

The court also directed DoE to ensure that parents whose children get admission in more than one school surrender all but one seat by April 9. "All those appellants (except transfer category parents) who have been selected in draw of lots in more than one school shall by April 9 choose one school," the bench ordered. Parents who keep more than one place beyond April 9 would lose all seats, the court added.

In its April 16 hearing, the court said it will try to find a solution to the claims of parents seeking admission under the transfer category. By that time, it will have data from DoE on the number of unfilled seats in each school.  

At present, a 95-point system is followed for admissions — 70 points for kids staying within 8km from the school (neighbourhood criteria), 20 for sibling in the same school and five for kids of alumni.

Earlier, the court had stayed fresh draw of lots being conducted after a single-judge bench had on March 6 called for redraws. The two-judge bench had also ordered that no admission will take place without its permission. 

Nursery admissions this year has been a long and tortuous process, with different stakeholders moving court several times. The present set of petitions ended up in high court after the lieutenant governor on February 27 amended his earlier guidelines by abolishing 5 points awarded to transfer cases. The LG's order had stated that the draw of lots would remain valid, except for transfer cases                                                                                                                                                  .  

SHAILENDAR KUMAR 

 PGDM 2sem  

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