Prior to the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) exams, the Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights (DCPCR) has strictly advised all schools in New Delhi to ensure every student gets their admit card without delay.
The commission took notice of the situation because it consistently receives complaints about how many schools hold off issuing admit cards to students until the very last minute in order to collect fees, as per a report by The New Indian Express. After the Delhi High Court ruled in its judgement that, "A child cannot be made to suffer and not be allowed to attend classes or barred from taking examinations in the middle of an academic session on the grounds of non-payment of the fees," the advisory was issued.
The court further stated, "The academic session of the petitioner can not be allowed to be wasted since the current academic session is about to end... Not allowing the petitioner to take up Board Examinations would put the petitioner at great hardship."
The court also noted in its judgment that, "....Not allowing a student to take examinations, especially the Board Examinations, would be an infringement of the rights of a child akin to the Right to Life as guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution of India. The Supreme Court has expanded the rights under Article 21 of the Constitution of India and education is certainly one of the important rights which would be encompassed under the right to life. In furtherance of the same, Article 21A of the Constitution of India provides for the Right to Education, wherein the State has been ordained to provide free and compulsory education to all children of the age of 6 to 14 years," stated a report by LiveLaw.
Therefore, the damage inflicted on the Class X and XII students by the denial of admit cards is irreparable, said the commission in its advisory. Further, the commission advised all the Deputy Directors of Education to be very vigilant and sensitive to this issue and initiate immediate and strong action against schools that withhold admit cards of the students.
