RTE quota: HC stays notice to 2 schools

The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday passed an interim order staying the notice issued by the commissioner for public instruction to two minority educational institutions, directing them to admit students under the 25% RTE quota.

Justice A S Bopanna was hearing a batch of petitions filed by the New Horizon Educational and Cultural Trust, Indiranagar and Amarjyothi educational Trust, Bengaluru.

The court also issued notices to state government, commissioner for public instruction, Directorate of Urdu and other Linguistic Minority Schools and National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions(NCMEI), New Delhi.

The petitioners had contended that on May 3, 2018, the NCMEI rejected their applications seeking minority status on the ground that the commission has no authority to grant the status.

Following this, on May 11 the education department issued a notice to the two institutions directing them to admit 25% students under the RTE quota.

The petitioners have further contended that both these orders were illegal since the Supreme Court has already ruled that the NCMEI has the jurisdiction to decide over granting linguistic minority status.

They have also pointed out that admissions under the RTE quota came to a close on May 21 as per the circular issued by the state government.