Unchecked growth of 'dummy schools' adversely affecting students: Delhi HC

The Delhi High Court has stated that the unrestrained growth of 'dummy schools' is harming children who truly meet the criterion of 'local education' by allowing ineligible candidates to acquire seats under the Delhi state quota (DSQ).

The high court issued a notice and asked the Delhi government, the Central Board of Secondary Education, the Directorate General of Health Services, Delhi University (DU), and Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University (GGSIPU) to respond to a petition against the proliferation of these dummy schools.

This matter has been listed by the high court for further hearing on November 29, according to PTI.

The high court was hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) contesting the eligibility criterion used by both DU and GGSIPU for allotting MBBS or BDS seats under the Delhi state quota.

The idea behind 'dummy schools,' according to Rajeev Aggarwal's PIL, is to provide a "virtual platform to students to show that they have migrated to Delhi after passing class 10th exam with the sole purpose of somehow availing the benefit of Delhi state quota seats, which otherwise ought to be allocated amongst the bona fide residents of NCT of Delhi."

There was no concept of ‘dummy schools' in Delhi, submitted Santosh Kumar Tripathi, Standing Counsel for the Delhi government.

“Upon hearing the counsel for the petitioner, this court is of the prima facie view that the unchecked growth of dummy schools actively disadvantages students who genuinely fulfil the local education requirement by permitting otherwise ineligible students to obtain seats under the DSQ,” a bench consisting of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Sanjeev Narula said.

According to the criterion, only candidates who have finished their Class XI and XII education from a recognised school in Delhi (referred to as 'local education') are eligible for DSQ seats, says the petition.

Delhi is unique as it uses local education requirements as the sole basis to determine eligibility for state quotas, the petitioner’s counsel iterated.

He further contended that this criterion enables the mushrooming of ‘dummy schools' across the national capital, which is detrimental to students who genuinely meet the local education requirement under the Delhi state quota.

“Dummy schools are essentially virtual platforms established in partnership with private schools and coaching institutes which are recognised as schools by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) even though they do not engage in day-to-day education or have a brick-and-mortar campus. Such schools enrol students residing outside Delhi thereby enabling them to illegitimately exploit the benefit of seats under the Delhi state quota,” advocate Augustine Peter, representing the petitioner, said.

The counsel of the petitioner also showed the court the websites of two coaching institutes which provide dummy school facilities.