High Court issues notice to govt, pvt respondents

Ishfaq Tantry

Tribune News Service 

Srinagar, February 12

Acting on public interest litigation seeking 25 per cent reservation in admissions for students belonging to the under privileged class of society in the private schools of the state, the J&K High Court today issued notices to the state government and other private respondents.

The directions were issued by a division bench of the High Court comprising Justice Muzaffar Hussain Attar and Justice BS Walia. 

The court also asked the respondents to file their objections to the PIL within three weeks.

In the PIL filed by one Ahsan Untoo, it has also been prayed that respondent authorities be directed to file status report with respect to the leased land currently under the possession of private schools of the state along with the tenure of the lease, rent recoverable from all such institutions and the conditions of the lease granted to such institutions.

“It is astonishing to see the fall in the quality of education being imparted in the public educational institutions as compared to the education being provided by the private players. The fall in the quality of education in the public educational system has actually paved the way for the mushrooming of the private educational institutions thereby making a way for the deepening gorge between the access of quality education to the under privileged class of society,” the PIL submitted.

It urged the High Court to direct private educational institutions of the state to reserve 25 per cent seats for students belonging to the under privileged class of society.