HC upholds K'taka Govt circular

Bangalore, Oct 10 (UNI) The Karnataka High Court today dismissed a writ petition, challenging a circular issued by the DDPI notifying that only students coming under the jurisidiction of the Department of Public Instruction were eligible to represent the State in national sports competitions and not ICSE and CBSE students.

The petitioners, Govindagiri and 17 others from Bangalore, contended that the impugned circular, dated July ten last, deprived the ICSE and CBSE students the opportunity of participating in national sports events, thereby violating Article 14 of the Constitution which provided equality of opportunities.

The State Government contended that it had constituted a committee -- the Karnataka State Vidyarthi Kreeda Nidhi Committee -- and collecting Rs five per annum from primary school students and Rs 15 per annum from high school students. The CBSE and ICSE schools had opportunities to participate in sports meets conducted by various federations of which they were members, but rural students studying in Government schools had no such opportnity and therefore the circular provided for selection of the State team by organising different sports competitions for taking part in national events, it submitted.

Mr Justice B S Patil dismissed the writ petition, observing that no exception could be taken to the impugned circular which was in keeping with the objective contained under the provisions of the Karnataka Educaton Act. These students fall under a different class and the others into a class governed under ICSE and CBSE and they could not be subjected to compulsory collection of fund and the rules of the Vidyarthi Nidhi could not be enforced on them.

UNI XR GD SHB ND2022