The High Court has quashed the order of the Delhi government withdrawing Vikaspuri-based Mamta Modern Senior Secondary School from the Subroto Cup football tournament 2016.
Subroto Cup is among the most famous inter-school football tournaments in India.
The school, which won the first Subroto Cup for Delhi in 1998, had distinguished footballer Sunil Chhetri, who has also led the Indian football team, among its players.
A Bench of Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva found as “not sustainable” the decision of the Directorate of Education (DoE) to withdraw the nomination of the school from the event, which started on Tuesday. In its place, Army Public School was allowed to represent Delhi. The event ends on October 21.
Mamta Modern School had qualified to represent Delhi by defeating Army Public School in the pre-Subroto Cup football tournament on July 27. However, on September 30, the DoE issued a circular withdrawing its nomination saying one of the players was not on school rolls for at least two months prior to the event, as is the rule. The school then moved the court. The DoE told the court that Army Public School had lodged a complaint that two of the players of Mamta Modern School were overage. When called for an explanation, the school furnished its record to show that the students were not overage. The records suggested that one of the players in the Mamta Modern School school team was “not on school rolls”, hence the team was withdrawn from the the tournament.
The court noted that the school’s records clearly showed that the particular student in the football team had qualified Class X examination from CBSE and had taken admission in the school in April. However, his school leaving certificate was issued on July 14.
“The relevant clause in the circular merely lays an embargo on the players. There is no embargo on the participation of the teams. In case, there was any issue about a particular player, the DoE could have passed appropriate orders qua that player, but there is no rule whereby the nomination of the entire team could be withdrawn,” said Justice Sachdeva.
He also noted that the Army Public School never raised the issue on which Mamta Modern School was withdrawn by DoE.
Mamta Modern School in Vikaspuri won the first
Subroto Cup for
Delhi in 1998
