The Delhi High Court has directed the state government and the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) to take action against “dummy” schools that allegedly let students appear for exams without attending regular classes.

A bench comprising Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela referred to such schools as a “fraud” and stressed that allowing students to attend only coaching classes while providing “absolutely false information” to appear in exams cannot be allowed, reported news agency PTI.

The court observed that students are often allowed to take exams despite not attending classes at these schools, as they spend their time in coaching centres instead. These schools are still able to provide examination entry based on the minimum attendance requirements set by the education boards. The bench ordered both the Delhi government and the CBSE to conduct inspections to address the issue.

The court also highlighted that some of these schools are allegedly being used to extend the benefit of Delhi’s domicile status to students from other states. The bench instructed the Delhi government and the CBSE to file an affidavit detailing the actions taken against such schools, PTI reported.

The directions were issued following a Public Interest Litigation (PIL). During the hearing, the counsel for the Delhi government denied the existence of “dummy” schools, claiming that the issue of “fake admissions” was being exaggerated. The government lawyer stated that schools are required to comply with affiliation rules, and when violations are found, appropriate action is taken. He also noted that no complaints had been received regarding “dummy” schools.

However, the CBSE counsel stated that action had been taken against over 300 such schools across the country. The court, remarking that authorities might choose different terminology for these institutions, questioned the Delhi government’s response to alleged fake admissions. The Delhi government counsel acknowledged that action had been initiated in two cases.

The bench instructed both the Delhi government and CBSE to file an additional affidavit providing details of the actions taken regarding any information related to “dummy” schools. It also directed the education department to conduct a survey, and if necessary, surprise inspections to gather pertinent information. This information should then be shared with the CBSE, which in turn will pass it on to the Delhi government. The court emphasized that once this information is collected, appropriate legal action should be taken against the management of such schools.

The Delhi government counsel also mentioned that the use of such schools by coaching centres was depicted in a web series focused on students from Kota, Rajasthan. To this, the court remarked, “Your department doesn’t seem to have seen it.”

The PIL, filed by petitioner Rajeev Aggarwal, challenged the eligibility criteria set by Delhi University (DU) and Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University for granting MBBS or BDS seats under the Delhi State Quota (DSQ). Aggarwal argued that “dummy” schools serve as a “virtual platform” for students to falsely claim Delhi residency after completing their Class-10 exams, enabling them to exploit the state quota intended for genuine residents of Delhi.