DPS is against an egalitarian society: HC

New Delhi, Apr 17 (UNI) Expressing anguish, the Delhi High court today asked the Delhi Public School (DPS) Society to state the reasons for not admitting 20 per cent students from weaker sections of society in six of its schools in the capital despite availing land at a subsidised rate.

''Why are you not providing free education to the students as stipulated in the land lease deed?'' asked the division bench of Justice T S Thakur and Justice S N Agrawal while refusing to dispose of a petition which had challenged the show-cause notice of the government on the issue.

The High Court said the elite DPS Society is against the establishment of an egalitarian society in the county.

''When the nation is working for an egalitarian society, you(DPS) are segregating the rich from the poor,'' the bench said while hearing a PIL on provision of free education to poor students in the public schools on subsidised government land.

When Counsel Puneet Mittal appearing for the DPS society said the school management had been running afternoon school's for the poor, the court retorted, ''When the more fortunate ones go home, the lesser ones are forced to stay back.'' The Delhi Development Authority and Land&Development Office (L&DO), the land owning agencies had alloted six plots in the capital for the establishment of the schools.

The branches at Mathura Road and R K Puram are set up on the lands allotted by the L&DO and the rest on the lands by the DDA, submitted the government counsel.

The DDA in its allottment letters had mentioned that the DPS Society would be providing free education to at least 25 per cent students from the poor.

Mr Mittal mentioned that the lease agreement with the L&DO did not mention about the free education clause.

UNI