The Delhi High Court on Friday gave a last opportunity to hundreds of private schools in the capital to evolve a mechanism for selection of children for admission to Nursery and pre-Primary classes without forcing them and their parents to appear for interviews.
A division bench of Justice Vijender Jain and Justice Rekha Sharma also made it clear that private schools should not have the discretion to call a particular set of children for interview.
Giving the last opportunity to the schools, the court said the matter was pending for one-and-a-half-year and if the schools failed to come up with any concrete proposal by the next date of hearing on December 19, it would pass appropriate orders.
The court observed that in the absence of any proper alternative suggested by the schools, it might ban toddlers' interviews from January 2006 onwards.
The division bench is seized of a petition filed by three parents, challenging a single bench judgement, which had on January 12, 2003, rejected the plea for banning interviewing of children and their parents.
Petitioners' counsel Ashok Agarwal argued that Yashpal Committee appointed by the central government had recommended a complete ban on interviewing of children.
He sought a ban on interviewing children on the ground that it was arbitrary and violative of their human rights.
The practice was violative of their fundamental rights guaranteed under Article 14 (right to equality), Article 21 (right to life & liberty) and Article 21-A (right to education for children below 14) of the Constitution and provisions of Delhi School Education Act, 1973, he contended.
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