(Rptg adding last para)

Mumbai, Sep 26 (UNI) The Bombay High Court today quashed the Maharashtra government's percentile system, introduced during the current academic year, for admission to junior colleges across the state.

While annuling the order, Justice J N Patel observed that the system was flawed. In the order, he noted that the state had not collected factual data, but relied on public sentiments.

Earlier on August 29, a division bench, comprising Chief Justice Swatanter Kumar and Justice A P Deshpande, who had heard the matter first, could not issue an order following the difference of opinion on the issue.

Chief Justice Kumar, in his ruling, had set aside the government resolution on imposition of percentile system, while Justice Deshpande had favoured the system, saying there was a need for it.

Following this, the matter was once again argued before a new Judge, who passed a fresh order after hearing both the sides.

The court was hearing a petition filed by a student's parent, Xavier Lewis, who opposed the system's imposition on the grounds that it promoted discrimination between the SSC and ICSE students.

As per the government, the percentile system was introduced to do away with comparative disparity between students from different boards such as SSC, ICSE and CBSE.

UNI AAA-GS SSS GL ND1846