HC paves way for admission to elementary education course

The prolonged uncertainty over admissions to the two-year Diploma in Elementary Education (D.El.Ed) course in Haryana has come to an end. The State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) has released the admission schedule after intervention by the high court.

According to the schedule, online applications will be accepted from September 30 to October 15 for both Haryana residents and out-of-state candidates. The School Education Department had recently issued an order to initiate the admission process in compliance with court directions, assuring that the schedule would be notified within 10 days.

The move follows a petition filed by the Haryana Self-Finance Private Colleges Association, which urged the court to direct state authorities to start the admission process without further delay. The association argued that the delay could make it impossible to meet the mandatory 200 teaching days required in each academic year.

“The admission process for the D.El.Ed course usually begins in April and is completed by July. However, this year, the authorities failed to initiate the process even by mid-August, which compelled us to file a petition with the high court last month,” said Satish Khola, president of the association.

Currently, more than 350 self-financed colleges across the state offer the D.El.Ed course, with a combined intake capacity of over 20,000 students.

Khola further pointed out that such delays are not new. “Similar delays occurred during the 2023–25 session, resulting in academic loss and a shortage of trained teachers across the state. Even last year too, admissions were conducted only after court intervention,” he added.

Confirming the release of the schedule, Sunil Bajaj, Additional Director of SCERT, said, “The admission schedule was released following the court’s intervention and after obtaining the necessary approval from the state authorities in this respect.”