A boy's desire to study in a national school for good quality education bore fruit after a division bench of the Kerala High Court directed the principal to give him admission though his application was rejected earlier.

Rahul Dev M, 12, of Payyoli approached the court challenging the decision of Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya, Thalassery, which denied him admission. The court directed the principal to admit him to the school forthwith.

Rahul was a student of Class V in Vidyanikethan Public School situated in Payyoli municipality. He submitted an application for consideration as a student hailing from a rural area under the prescribed quota for such students announced under the Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya's scheme. Although the petitioner was found meritorious for admission to Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya, his application was rejected on close scrutiny since it was found that he had applied for the seat under the category earmarked for rural candidates, whereas he had completed Class V in a school situated in an urban area. This disentitled him to a seat under the rural category.

The single judge had dismissed his application stating that the mere residence of the petitioner in a rural area did not confer on him any right to be included in the rural category for the purpose of admission to Jawahar Navodaya School under the Navodaya Vidyalaya scheme.

Later, Rahul filed an appeal before the division bench through advocate Manas P Hameed. The division bench said there was no reason to interfere with the judgment of the single judge. But the Navodaya Vidyalaya Samithi informed the court that there were eight seats left unfilled in the rural quota.

Taking note of the said fortuitous circumstances and finding that the petitioner had, in fact, been found meritorious for admission but, thereafter denied admission only on account of his having failed the categorisation as a rural candidate, we deem it appropriate and in the interest of justice to direct the principal, Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya, Pandakkal, Thalassery to forthwith admit the student to the sixth standard of the school under the rural category, held the court.