Submit guidelines for admission, Chief Justice tells govt

The Chief Justice of the Bombay high court has asked a petitioner who complained of difficulties in getting admission for children in pre-primary sections to make schools and their principals party to the petition.

The CJ also asked the government to submit the guidelines it had framed for pre-primary admissions as the petitioner claimed that there were no guidelines for the same and prayed that the court direct the government to frame them.

According to the petitioner, Nilesh Patil, who was appearing for the petition himself, it was difficult to get admissions in pre-primary schools due to interference of local politicians in the admission process. Mr Patil further added that schools were under pressure from these politicians and hence did not entertain genuine admissions.

To this, CJ Dr Manjula Chellur said that in the event of being under pressure the teachers, principal or schools should expose the same. However, Mr Patil informed the court that the said persons were not in a position to complain, to which the CJ asked the petitioner to make the schools and principals a party too.

On being asked his locus standi in the petition, Mr Patil said he was a parent himself and had recently shifted to Mumbai from Pune and had found it difficult to get admission for his child. He informed the court that due to the above mentioned problem he had to get his child admitted to a school 18 km away from his house in the western suburbs.

Mr Patil further added that the government was party to the petition as they had failed to implement any guidelines with regards to pre-primary admissions and hence parents like him had to suffer.

The CJ then directed the government to find out whether guidelines had been framed with regard to this and, if they were, to submit them in the court within four weeks.