SC: No derecognition of 220 private schools in Maharashtra

New Delhi, Nov 15 (UNI) The Supreme Court has directed the state of Maharashtra to maintain status quo as on November 13, 2006 in respect of 220 private schools whose recognition was cancelled by Nagpur bench of Bombay high court on July 7,2006.

The high court had ordered the state government to cancel the recognition of 2000 private recognised schools in the state.

The apex court had granted status quo order for 150 schools on September 29,2006.

A bench comprising Justices K G Balakrishnan and D K Jain on November 13 condoned the delay in filing the appeals and also issued notices to the state of Maharashtra.

The order came on a petition filed by the Permanent Non-Granted New Schools Action Committee, Amravati, Maharashtra.

Senior counsel M N Rao appearing for the petitioners pleaded that the impugned high court order if not stayed would jeopardise the career of over one lakh students who had sought admissions in these schools and the new academic session started on June 12, 2006.

The state of Maharashtra had pleaded in the high court for cancellation of recognition to the 2000 private unaided schools on the grounds that facilities provided by these schools were substandard and many among these schools did not have requisite infrastructure and were merely teaching shops. It was also contended before the high court that the schools were not fulfilling an assurance of giving admission to the students belonging to weaker sections of the society.

UNI AKS/SC RP VV1904