7-year-old’s plea: HC seeks HRD ministry's stand

The Delhi high court has sought a response of the Union government and two city-based Kendriya Vidyalaya (KV) schools on the plea by a 7-year-old girl, challenging the denial of admission to her in Class I by the schools on different grounds.

The Delhi high court has sought a response of the Union government and two city-based Kendriya Vidyalaya (KV) schools on the plea by a 7-year-old girl, challenging the denial of admission to her in Class I by the schools on different grounds.

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While asking the two schools under the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development to keep a seat vacant each in their respective Class I till the disposal of the girl’s plea, Justice Manmohan Singh issued notices to them as well as the ministry and fixed the case for next hearing on July 7.

The court was hearing an appeal filed by Hira Saifi, through her counsel Md Azam Ansari, against the May 30 order by the court’s single judge bench, dismissing her petition challenging the denial of admission by Kendriya Vidyalaya schools of Andrews Ganj and Sadiq Nagar.

Ansari told the court while Andrews Ganj KV school denied her admission on the ground of being “overage” for Class I, the Sadiq Nagar school said her residence is located beyond the permissible limit of 5 km from the school. “The actions of Kendriya Vidyalayas, besides being highly illegal and arbitrary, are also discriminatory in nature, which are not permissible under the law of the land and the Constitution under any circumstances,” the counsel submitted.

Seeking a direction to the girl’s admission, the counsel said both the schools should be directed to produce and file all admission records, including the registration forms of candidates relating to admissions done in Class 1 during this academic year.