Unchecked rise of ‘dummy schools’ affecting Delhi students: HC

The unchecked growth of ‘dummy schools’ is adversely affecting students who genuinely fulfil the ‘local education’ criterion and allows ineligible candidates to secure seats under the Delhi state quota, the Delhi High Court has said.
The high court issued notice and sought the response of the Delhi government, the Central Board of Secondary Education, the Directorate General of Health Services, Delhi University (DU), and Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University (GGSIPU) on a petition against the proliferation of dummy schools.
It listed the matter for further hearing on November 29. The high court was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) challenge to the eligibility criteria applied by both DU and GGSIPU for allotting MBBS or Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) seats under the DSQ.
The PIL filed by Rajeev Aggarwal claimed the idea behind ‘dummy schools’ is to provide a “virtual platform to students to show that they have migrated to Delhi after passing class 10th exam with the sole purpose of somehow availing the benefit of Delhi state quota seats, which otherwise ought to be allocated amongst the bonafide residents of NCT of Delhi”. Delhi government standing counsel Santosh Kumar Tripathi submitted there was no concept of ‘dummy schools’ in Delhi.
“Upon hearing the counsel for the petitioner, this court is of the prima facie view that the unchecked growth of dummy schools actively disadvantages students who genuinely fulfill the local education requirement by permitting otherwise ineligible students to obtain seats under the DSQ,” a bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Sanjeev Narula said.