Will stop screening process: Govt to HC

At a time when most government-run schools in Delhi are facing space and infrastructure issues,admissions to Class VI in 17 out of 19 RPVVs did not take place this year because of the unclear admission criterion to be followed in these schools.

Until the last academic session,admissions were being carried out in special category schools through the screening of students. The Act,which came into effect in April 2010,banned screening of children.

Subsequently,the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) and Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights (DCPCR) issued notices to the government’s Directorate of Education (DoE) for violating the law.

In July last year,DCPCR chairperson Amod Kanth had imposed a penalty of Rs 25,000 on the DoE,and directed them to stop screening for admissions. The government then moved the High Court,claiming that far from being a breach of students’ fundamental rights,admissions through screening only enabled the authorities to choose students based on their potential.

NCPCR counsel Monika Garg,however,opposed the argument,stating the Act not only prohibited screening but also entailed a monetary penalty for non-adherence. “Under the Act and on the basis of the policy guidelines,the Ministry has taken a decision that no test or interviews should be conducted for any child or parent falling within or outside categories,and selection would be on a random basis,” Garg told Justice Kailash Gambhir.