The Delhi High Court has issued a notice in response to a petition demanding action against Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE)-affiliated schools in the national capital that were engaged in the unlawful practice of providing “dummy schooling” to Class 11 and 12 students. The divisional bench comprising of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Sanjeev Narula have sent notices to the Delhi Government’s Health and Family Welfare, the Central Board of Secondary Education and the Council for Indian School Certification Examination.
Further proceedings will happen on November 29. Dummy School is essentially a way by which students are offered a virtual platform to portray they have moved to Delhi after class 10 exams. This act takes place to gain access to the state quota seats in Delhi that is actually reserved for the genuine residents of the National Capital Territory (NCT), Delhi. After getting enrolled in a dummy school, students do not have to physically attend classes. Rather they only participate in the final exams.
The plea asserts how dummy schools stand against the standard and expectations of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE). The plea seeks several actions, including: Directives to CBSE to issue suitable guidelines for the identification of “dummy schools” operating in Delhi for NEET-UG aspirants; and directives to CBSE to take appropriate measures against its affiliated schools that are engaged in the unlawful practice of providing “dummy schooling” to students in Class 11 and 12.
The plea also requests directives to invalidate the current practice of the Delhi government to exclude the criteria of residence as one of the eligibility requirements for claiming Delhi state quota seats (comprising 85 percent of the total seats). Candidates must have completed their Class 11 and 12 education from a school affiliated with a recognized board within Delhi. This is in regard to aspirants or candidates seeking eligibility to claim Delhi state quota seats for admission to MBBS and BDS courses in colleges affiliated with Delhi University and Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University.
