HC stays entrance exam for residential schools

The Karnataka High Court on Thursday stayed the entrance examination for admission to some government schools which is scheduled to be held on February 18.

Justice B V Nagarathna granted the interim stay while hearing a petition filed by Viswanatha S Mathad and three others, who have moved the court seeking quashing of the government order dated April 24, 2017, inviting applications for admission to Class 6 in Morarji Desai, Kittur Rani Chennamma, Sangolli Rayanna, Ekalavya Madari, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Dr B R Ambedkar and Indira Gandhi residential schools.

The petitioners are parents of children seeking admission to the above-mentioned schools.

According to the petitioners, the schools have been established for the welfare of children in rural areas. The said schools have 100% reservation for students of scheduled castes and scheduled tribes (SC/STs) and also for other backward classes (OBC) and there is no reservation for students of general category, which is a violation of Article 14 of the Constitution of India.

Article 14 says: "The state shall not deny to any person equality before the law or the equal protection of the laws within the territory of India."

The petitioner says there should be 50% reservation for the general category students, 25% for SC/ST students and the remaining 25% for OBC students, which has not been implemented by the schools.