Class 6 student challenges Delhi’s CM SHRI school entrance tests in Supreme Court

An 11-year-old student has approached the Supreme Court challenging the Delhi Government’s admission policy for CM SHRI schools, which mandates entrance tests for admission into Classes 6, 7, and 8, as reported by ANI.

The writ petition, filed under Article 32 of the Constitution, argues that these mandatory tests violate Article 21-A, which guarantees the right to free and compulsory education, as well as Section 13 of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009, which explicitly prohibits any “screening procedure” during school admissions.

The petitioner, Janmesh Sagar, a Class VI student at Government Sarvodaya Bal Vidyalaya, applied for admission to a CM SHRI school for the 2025–26 academic year. 

Following a government circular issued on July 23, 2025, he appeared for the entrance test on September 13, 2025, as required by the new policy.

The petition contends that the entrance tests are unlawful and discriminatory, noting that CM SHRI schools fall under the “specified category” defined in Section 2(p) of the RTE Act and are therefore not exempt from Section 13. 

It also highlights that previous Delhi High Court interpretations, which excluded specified category schools from RTE provisions, conflict with the constitutional mandate of Article 21-A and Section 13.

Janmesh is seeking a Supreme Court declaration that Section 13 applies to CM SHRI schools, the nullification of the July 23 circular, and a directive to conduct admissions via a lottery system instead of entrance tests.