'New age criteria integral part of NEP 2020': Centre on KVS Class I admission age criteria

New Delhi [India], April 8 : Central Government on Friday said that there is a need for uniformity in age criteria and it is an integral part of the new education policy, in an argument in Delhi High Court challenging the plea against Kendriya Vidyalaya admission age criteria for Class I.
The New Education Policy fixes the minimum age criteria for Kendriya Vidyalaya School's (KVS) Class I admission of a child to six years instead of five years.
The Delhi High Court heard the arguments by the central government where the Centre submitted that KVS are pacesetter and beacon of education. "Uniformity in age criteria is an integral part of NEP", stated the Central government.
Justice Rekha Palli on Friday adjourned the matter for further hearing on April 11. The Court said it expects the respondents will extend the last date of admission to Class I.
Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Chetan Sharma appearing for the Centre submitted that New Education Policy 2020 is not challenged and the new age criteria is an integral part of the policy.
He also submitted that there is no violation of Article 14 of the Constitution of India. There is no irreparable loss to the petitioners. They can get admission to other schools.
He further submitted that KVS are pacesetter and they are the forerunner in the field of education. They are beacons of education. They are for the children of defence personnel and central government employees who get transferred from one place to another place. There is a need for Uniformity.
ASG submitted that there are some difficulties in changing the age criteria. The Children of five-plus age are getting registered for admission. Seven lakh application forms have been submitted so far against one lakh seats. If we change the age criteria, the program would be changed and would take weeks to reorganize.
The KVS in an affidavit filed in Delhi High Court had opposed the plea.
KVS had said the Government of India has examined the issues at length and has notified NEP 2020, wherein a new scheme of pedagogical and curricular restructuring has been proposed to be implemented. Accordingly, KVS has implemented the said policy.
The age criteria for admission in Class I should therefore be in consonance with the NEP 2020 because it is settled law that the Executive has the competence to decide how a policy should be shaped or implemented, the affidavit states.
Lawyers Ashok Agarwal and Kumar Utkarsh appeared for the petitioner had stated that the Court's intervention and issuance of direction is required to the respondent Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan to reframe the admission criteria in 2022-23 in accordance with the law.
The plea submitted that prior to the academic year 2022-23, the minimum age of admission for class I in respondent KVS was throughout five years as of March 31.
It was also submitted that the impugned admission criteria of the respondent KVS is arbitrary, discriminatory, unjust, unreasonable, violative of the fundamental right to education of the petitioner as guaranteed to her under Articles 14, 21 and 21A of the Constitution of India read with the provisions of Delhi School Education Act, 1973 and Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act.
The petitioner, a kid, through her father Pawan Kumar submitted that as she would be five-plus age as of March 31, 2022, she was desirous of applying for admission in Class I in respondent KVS in the academic year 2022-23.
However, on February 24, 2022, all of a sudden respondent KVS made changes in the minimum age criteria for admission in class I from five years to six years by uploading the impugned guidelines on the portal, just four days before the admission process starts. The plea submitted that new guidelines say that "as per the mandate of National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, entry age for Class I has been revised to 6 plus years with effect of Academic Session 2022-23".