Nursery admissions: High Court stays government decision to scrap management quota

04 February, New Delhi

The Delhi High Court Thursday , in its interim order, stayed the Aam Aadmi Party government’s order which had earlier scrapped the management quota in nursery admissions in private unaided schools.

Noting that the AAP government’s January 6 decision to scrap the management quota in nursery admissions was taken without the authority of law, Justice Manmohan in his interim order, had said that the government’s step was also in contravention of the lieutenant governor’s 2007 order on nursery admissions in private unaided schools.

The HC also stayed the Delhi government’s January 6 order with respect to 11 other admission criteria. The court also made it clear that it is not touching the issue of land allotment conditions.

The AAP government will appeal the Delhi High Court’s Thursday order in the Supreme Court very soon, a source said. The HC, while staying the AAP govt’s January 6 order, said that the autonomy of private unaided schools with regard to nursery admissions cannot be restricted by an office order and has to be done under the law.

The court, however, also said that if there were any malpractices or corrupt practices going on with regard to nursery admission criteria in private unaided schools, then they should be properly investigated and taken to their logical conclusion.The court also clarified in its order today that the observations made by it and the view taken by it are only “prima facie” and not final