Dismissal of petition on sports meets challenged

Bangalore, Oct 18 (UNI) The Karnataka High Court today admitted an appeal against the dismissal of 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.

Chief Justice Cyriac Joseph and Mr Justice Ajit J Gunjal admitted the appeal, filed by parents of students of ICSE and CBSE schools contending that the circular was illegal and discriminatory.

Mr Justice B S Patil had dismissed the writ petition on October ten, 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.

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 had contended that it had constituted a committee -- the Karnataka State Vidyarthi Kreeda Nidhi Committee -- and was 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 had submitted.

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