HC seeks govt’s reply on private schools’ plea on National Education Policy

The HRD ministry will have to file its reply to a plea alleging avoidance of private schools imparting elementary education in a committee on the National Education Policy

New Delhi The Delhi High Court has sought the reply of the Centre on a plea alleging non-representation of thousands of educational and charitable societies running unaided schools in a committee on National Education Policy (NEP) headed by noted scientist K Kasturirangan.

Independent Schools Federation of India has alleged in a plea to the Delhi High Court alleging ‘complete avoidance of private schools imparting elementary education in the newly constituted Committee’. (Sneha Srivastava/Mint/For representation only)

Justice Indermeet Kaur granted a final opportunity to the ministry of human resource development to file their reply on the Independent Schools Federation of India’s plea alleging “complete avoidance of private schools imparting elementary education in the newly constituted Committee”.

The court fixed the matter for hearing on October 27.

The federation in their plea filed through advocate Ravi Prakash Gupta submitted that although it was the government’s prerogative to constitute such a committee, it could not ignore major stakeholders in the field of education as the recommendations would ultimately be implemented by them.

“There is no representative of private schools when private educational societies are taking care of about one- third of students enrolled (8.9 crore) but are least consulted in matters of national educational policy,” the petition said.

The HRD ministry had on June 26 constituted a nine-member panel, headed by space scientist K Kasturirangan, to prepare the final draft of the government’s NEP.