The Hindu : New Delhi News : High Court pulls up Government over free-ship to poor students

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Wednesday, Feb 20, 2008
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High Court pulls up Government over free-ship to poor students

Staff Reporter

Asked to file a report about the allegations on March 12

Petitioner claims receiving complaints from parents
‘Government not giving wide publicity to the provision’

NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court pulled up the State Government on Tuesday for its insincere approach to implementation of the provision for free education to poor students by private schools that have been allotted government land for school buildings at concessional rates.

A Division Bench of the Court comprising Justice T.S. Thakur and Justice Aruna Suresh made observations critical of the Government conduct when the petitioner, advocate Ashok Aggarwal, submitted that he had received hundreds of complaints from parents of these students about the nodal officers not receiving their complaints against schools for refusing admission to their children under the scheme.

He submitted that several of these parents had sent their complaints directly to the Deputy Director of Education as the nodal officers refused to receive them. There were also complaints with him against certain Deputy Directors discouraging some parents from putting their children in private schools saying that they could not afford the high-cost education.

He alleged that the Government was also not giving wide publicity to the provision as directed by the Court.

The Bench later directed the Government to file a report about the allegations on March 12.

The High Court in May last year had asked private schools to earmark 15 per cent of their total seats for students belonging to the economically weaker sections under the free-ship scheme. The scheme is being implemented from this academic year.

The Delhi Government has allotted plots to these schools in different parts of the city on the condition that they will provide free education to students from the economically lower strata of society.

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