Sanskriti School, Chanakyapuri, today told the Delhi High Court that they admitted lower number of children from economically weaker sections this year because they received very few applications in the category.
Defending the Central grant of Rs 5 crore, school principal Gouri Ishwaran said: “...the percentage of children from weaker sections is low because no more children came for admission during the current academic session.” The submission formed part of the short affidavit filed by the school today before the HC bench comprising acting Chief Justice Vijender Jain and Justice Kailash Gambhir.
The school, which was opened by the wives of top and senior bureaucrats by forming a society, came under the HC scanner after media reports highlighted how a further grant of Rs 10 crore was being cleared for it. The grant was meant for setting up polo grounds and other sports facilities for students, majority of whom are children of top IAS, IPS officers, bureaucrats, lawyers and even judges.
Taking cognisance of the matter, HC had sought a reply from the school on the details of the children given admission this academic session.
Interestingly, the granddaughter of the acting Chief Justice hearing the case is also studying in the same school— the bench had noted this in the last hearing on September 28 but lawyers appearing in the case, which was converted into a public interest litigation (PIL), did not object to the matter.
In compliance of the court’s directions, the principal submitted the details of students admitted to nursery class this academic session. She said a total of 126 students were granted admission this year. The affidavit also gave details of their parents, their rank and category under which the wards were granted admission.
Giving a further break-up of the total students who got admission, Ishwaran said 72 were from the government servant category while 37 belonged to the general class. “As many as 17 students belonged to weaker section,” she added.
Out of the 17 students from economically weaker class, the affidavit pointed out, the parents of eight were working in the school as driver, gardener or peon. The parents of eight children from the general category also worked in the school as staff, including those on non-academic post like lab technician’s.
Till 1996-97, the school has received a grant of Rs 5 crore from the Ministry of Human Resources Development, said the affidavit of Kamal Choudhary, Director, Department of School Education and Literacy in the Union Ministry. He clarified that no further grant has been given after that.