Manish Sisodia may challenge High Court decision

New Delhi:A day after the high court stayed Delhi government’s new admission nursery norms, deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia said that the government might appeal to the HC double bench or the Supreme Court for a stay on the current interim order.

Mr Sisodia also holds the education portfolio. Although the HC decision brought relief to parents, the government’s decision to further approach the court in the matter has the parents worried.

“We do not know what the government wants and what would HC say. All we need is to let this admission process go smoothly this year. Parents are perplexed due to the tussle. AAP government should not make further appeal. They should make a concrete plan for next year admission process. The process will also be known to all stakeholders before the admission process begins,” said Gauri, a 32- year-old parent.

The HC on Tuesday had stayed the Delhi government’s nursery admissions notification that allowed 298 private schools, built on public land, to take students living close to the institutions. But the government said that it would approach the HC double bench and that transparency in admissions should not bother schools.

Another parent, Swati Singhal, feels that parents are being made to run from pillar to post. “I really don’t understand why does the government want to re-appeal? It simply means we will have to wait longer for a final answer on how the admissions will be conducted,” she said.

However, a section of parents say the “neighbourhood” rule should be mandatory for all 1,700 schools. “The problem is not with a decision favouring us or not, the problem is with the entire admission process, where something or the other keeps on happening. Either we do away with the whole neighborhood rule or implement the rule in all schools in Delhi, instead of only in 298 schools,” said Ashish Garg.