Delhi government's appeal on nursery admissions dismissed

The Delhi High Court on Monday dismissed a Delhi government's appeal challenging a single-judge order that stayed its notification compelling 298 private schools built on public land to admit only neighbourhood nursery students.

A division bench of Chief Justice G. Rohini and Justice Sangita Dhingra Sehgal upheld the judge's February 14 order which had said the Delhi government's January 7 notification was "arbitrary and discriminatory".

The Aam Aadmi Party government had approached the division bench saying the order was "wrong and erroneous".

The notification issued by the Department of Education of the Delhi government had made distance the primary criterion for nursery admissions.

The single judge had questioned the government decision to impose the neighbourhood restriction to only 298 schools that are built on the Delhi Development Authority land.

The notification accorded priority to students living within a radius of one kilometre from the school concerned. In case of vacant seats, those living within a distance of three kilometres could admit their children.

The judgement came on petitions filed by two school bodies - the Action Committee of Unaided Recognised Private Schools and Forum for Promotion of Quality Education - along with a few parents.