Delhi's ‘shop-like schools’ checking committee only has ‘yes men’, says High Court

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Friday said that a committee appointed by the Centre to inspect "shop-like schools" operating in the city under the National Institute of Open Schooling or NIOS comprises only of persons who are bound to say "yes-yes" and not find anything wrong with them.

A bench of Chief Justice DN Patel and Justice C Hari Shankar made the observation after the Ministry of Human Resource Development claimed inspection of four study centres found that they were complying with the norms.

The ministry, represented by central government standing counsel Monika Arora, told the court that the committee visited four study centres which were found to be larger than shops as they measured around 800 square yards.

She also told the bench that the study centres were catering to the needs of the children, up to Class 8, for minority communities nearby.

The court directed the ministry to file the findings along with an affidavit and listed the matter for hearing in January.

The high court had on November 19 asked the Centre and the Delhi government how such "shop-like schools", without playgrounds, were being allowed to function in the national capital.

It had also asked the Ministry of Human Resource Development how the schools were operating under the National Institute of Open Schooling when they "looked like shops".

The bench's observation and queries came after perusing photographs of schools run by MS Educational and Welfare Trust in north Delhi.

It directed the Human Resource Development ministry to file an affidavit indicating on what basis such schools were being allowed to operate in the city.

The court was hearing two pleas - one by Delhi resident Mohammed Kamran seeking action against such schools and another by the trust challenging a Delhi government order directing closure of some of its schools.

The schools' photographs were annexed in the pleas.

The trust, in its defence, has contended that it was a minority trust school accredited with the National Institute of Open Schooling.

It said it was following the National Institute of Open Schooling syllabus provided by the Ministry of Human Resource Development.