The Delhi High Court on Friday issued notice to the central and state governments and the CBSE on a plea alleging that the majority of government schools in the national capital are not offering their students science and commerce streams at the intermediate level.
A division bench headed by Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal asked the Centre, Delhi Lt Governor Anil Baijal, the state government and the Central Board of Secondary Education to file their response by November 28.
The Public Interest Litigation (PIL) pointed out that the distribution of schools offering science and commerce streams is “alarmingly uneven”.
The petition filed by advocate Yusuf Naqi said that out of a total of 1,029 schools in the national capital, only 279 offered science stream to Class 11 and 12 students, while commerce was offered in 613 schools.
“Depriving students from taking science or commerce stream at intermediate level amounts to depriving them of their right to choose a profession or carry on any occupation, trade or business of her own choice as guaranteed under Article 19(1)(g) of the Constitution of India”, the plea said.
“It is evident from the government records that there are ‘shadow pockets’ in different regions of Delhi that do not offer science and commerce streams at all, in their academic curriculum.”
Advocates G M Akhtar and B P Singh, appearing for the petitioner told the court that in central Delhi, only two government schools out of a total of 41 have science stream in their curriculum.