Delhi HC seeks govt's reply on fixing upper age limit for admissions

The Delhi High Court on January 7 has asked the AAP government to respond on its decision to fix upper age limit for admissions to entry-level classes in private unaided schools at 4 years. The HC sought the response on the petition of a child's plea challenging the decision. According to PTI reports, Justice Rajiv Shakdher issued a notice to Delhi government and its education department seeking their stand on the plea, which said that the December 18, 2015 order sought to do "disservice to children and society by taking away their Right to Education by introducing an age limit for admission to a school". The child, who is just two years and 10 months old, has challenged the decision and asked that he shall be allowed to apply for pre-school in the year 2017.

"There can be no age for education and capping the upper age for entering school is highly discriminatory and seeks to prejudice the rights of children and society. It violates the fundamental Right to Education," the plea stated, contending that the order has been passed in a rushed manner, without any application of mind or in-depth consultation with experts. As per the notification issued in December 2015 by the Directorate of Education (DOE), the upper age limits for admission in pre-school, pre-primary and class-1 has been prescribed at four years, five years and six years respectively as on March 31 of the year in which admission is being sought.