Provisionally allow two Class 11 students to compete in sports tournament: HC to CBSE

In a major reprieve to two students denied participation in the CBSE Sports Tournament, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has directed the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) to provisionally allow them to compete. The Bench observed that the city school, where they had taken admission, was "prima facie" causing prejudice due to a discrepancy in dates.

“The respondent-CBSE is directed that as a matter of interim order, the two students namely Afreen and Arhamar Khan, who are students of the petitioner-school and intend to participate in the sports tournament, be allowed provisionally in the sports tournament in pursuance to the notification dated April 30,” Justice Harsimran Singh Sethi ordered.

The direction came after the petitioner — The New Public School Society — through counsel Ankit Midha moved the high court against CBSE and another respondent, contending that it had admitted two students — one on July 7 and another on July 14. But they were not being permitted to participate in the CBSE Sports Tournament scheduled from August 5 to 10. The CBSE, according to the petitioner, was citing its notice requiring students to have been admitted and registered by July 5 for eligibility.

Midha argued that the last date to get admission in Class 11 as per CBSE guidelines was August 31. “Once a student can be admitted in Class 11 up to August 31, any candidate admitted prior to that, who is validly admitted to a school, cannot be denied participation in the sports tournament being held by the Central Board of Secondary Education,” he submitted.

He further argued that the CBSE should conduct the sports tournament keeping in view the last date for admission “so that only the students who get admission in the academic courses up to the last date are allowed to participate.”

Describing the stand taken by CBSE as inconsistent, he submitted that there was “a discrepancy with regard to the last date for admission in the school and with regard to last date for participation and registration in the sports tournament of a student admitted in a school.”

Justice Sethi asserted the tournament was yet to commence and the students had been validly admitted well before the last date prescribed for Class 11 admissions. “Merely on the ground that the registration of the said students should have been done by July 5, prima facie, the school is being caused prejudice.”

The matter has now been posted for further hearing on September 1. Advocate Beant Singh Seemer accepted notice for CBSE and sought time to file a reply.