Disturbed at the lack of efforts by the Delhi Government in directing schools to keep three per cent seats in nursery vacant for differently-abled children till a petition seeking quota for them is decided, the Delhi High Court on Wednesday warned the government not to take the issue lightly.

“Don’t take it lightly. By not keeping the seats vacant, you have rendered the proceedings before this court infructuous,” a Bench of Justices S. Ravindra Bhat and R.V. Easwar said.

During the hearing on a PIL seeking quota for differently-abled children for nursery admission, the Bench also proposed the idea of cutting down on current 70 points for the neighbourhood criterion for making way for differently-abled children.

“Neighbourhood is the only thing you (government) can compromise upon. It is 70. You can bring it down to 50,” the Bench said after hearing extensive arguments.

The Bench pulled up the government after it was informed that it was yet to issue any circular to all the schools in pursuance of the court’s February 25 order for keeping three per cent seats vacant.

At this, the counsel for the Delhi Government submitted that all seats are vacant at present since the nursery admission process has been stayed till March 24 by a Bench headed by Acting Chief Justice B.D. Ahmed.

“Once the admission starts, how are you going to ensure the three per cent seats? Can you anticipate our decision? If you don’t ask schools to keep some seats vacant, once the admission process takes place, will you cancel some admissions to make seats?” the Bench asked the government.

“This is actually over-reaching the court,” it remarked and directed the government to indicate in an affidavit steps taken by it to make sure that the seats are kept vacant and added that in case no circular is issued to the schools in this respect, the Principal Secretary should be present before the court on the next date of hearing.

Meanwhile, the Bench also said it wants to make sure that if a quota is charted out for differently-abled children, they actually get benefits if it and also wanted to know how differently-abled children from the Economically Weaker Section could also get the benefit as some seats are already reserved for EWS category.

Source: The Hindu