SC petition filed against CM SHRI school entrance tests by 11-year-old student

An eleven-year-old student has moved the Supreme Court challenging the Delhi Government’s admission policy for CM SHRI Schools, which requires students to take entrance tests for Classes 6, 7, and 8.

The petition, filed under Article 32 of the Constitution, claims that the mandatory entrance exams violate Article 21-A, which guarantees the right to free and compulsory education, and Section 13 of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009, which prohibits any “screening procedure” for school admissions.

The petitioner, Janmesh Sagar, a Class VI student at Government Sarvodaya Bal Vidyalaya, applied for admission to a CM SHRI school for the 2025-26 academic year.

Following a government circular issued on July 23, 2025, he appeared for the entrance test on Sept 13, as required.

The petition argues that the tests are unlawful and discriminatory, noting that CM SHRI schools fall under the “specified category” in Section 2(p) of the RTE Act and should not be exempt from Section 13.

It also points out that previous Delhi High Court interpretations, which excluded specified category schools from the RTE Act, conflict with Article 21-A and Section 13.

Janmesh seeks a Supreme Court declaration confirming that Section 13 of the RTE Act applies to CM SHRI schools, nullifying the July 23 circular, and directing admissions to be conducted through a lottery system instead of entrance exams.