SC adjourns hearing on Maha students admission row

The Supreme Court today adjourned to Monday the hearing on Maharashtra government's appeal challenging a Bombay High Court judgement setting aside the 'best of 5' system for Secondary School Certificate Board students for admission to Class XI.

The Supreme Court on Friday adjourned to Monday the hearing on Maharashtra government's appeal challenging a Bombay High Court judgement setting aside the 'best of 5' system for Secondary School Certificate Board students for admission to Class XI.

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Justice V S Sirpurkar, heading a Bench during the brief hearing, also offered to recuse himself from the matter if any of the counsel had objection to his hearing it as the daughter of one of his cousins had also written the SSC exam.

"One of my cousin's daughter has also written the exam. Does any of the counsel have any objection to my hearing the matter? the judge said.

However, the advocates, including senior counsel Harish Salve, said they have no such objection to his presiding over the matter.

Justice Sirpurkar later posted the matter for Monday as a copy of the High Court judgement has not been placed on record by Maharashtra government.

In its appeal, Maharashtra government has submitted before the apex court that the High Court's verdict needed to be set aside as it affected the interest of over 16 lakh students.

The High Court had quashed the best of 5 rule, saying it discriminated against students from other boards and also directed that online admission process for Class XI could commence immediately.

Setting aside the system, the High Court had said it discriminated against the students from other boards such as Indian Certificate of Secondary Education and Central Board of Secondary Education.