By IANS
New Delhi : The Delhi High Court Thursday allowed minority schools, which were granted land by the government at concession rates, to reserve all the free seats for poor students of their own community.
“We can give you that latitude. Give the freeships to students of your own community,” a bench comprising Chief Justice M.K. Sharma and Justice Sanjeev Khanna said.
The court was hearing petitions filed by some private unaided minority schools, which had been granted land by the government at a concession, seeking exemption from giving free education to poor students from any community.
However, the court, for the time being refused to exempt them from mandatory requirement of providing 15 percent reservation for students of economically weaker sections and directed the government to file its response on their petitions.
Challenging the court’s May 14 order, directing schools to ensure 15 percent reservation for poor students, the counsel for the petitioners contended that providing freeship was not mentioned in their agreement with the government.
“The mandatory application of the freeships would increase the government’s interference in the day to day functioning of schools and the facility would be misused by the people who would somehow procure the fake certificate to get freeship,” the counsel said.
There are around 360 schools of the national capital, which were provided land at concession rates.