The Delhi High Court has ruled that admission to a course cannot be denied to an aspirant only on account of a candidate’s age if it is not barred under an institution’s rules.
The court held that the endeavour of a university should be to impart higher education to as many persons as possible instead of insisting upon a particular age limit for the purpose of admission to a course of study with the university.
The court’s observation came while directing the Jamia Milia Islamia University to admit a 46-year-old woman to a B.Ed course in a week’s time.
The order came on a petition by Sunita Rani, 46, who, despite having cleared the entrance test, was denied admission to a B.Ed course in Jamia Milia Islamia University on grounds that there was a gap of more than 21 years between her last education and her seeking admission to the course this year.
Expressing displeasure on the stand taken by the university, Justice VK Jain directed the university to grant her admission within a week saying, “I find no logic behind denying admission to the B Ed. course only on account of age of a candidate, when the statute of the university does not bar such admissions. The importance of education in the life of a person hardly needs any emphasis.”
While allowing her plea, the court rejected the arguments of Jamia’s counsel that Rani was not eligible for being employed as a teacher in any Government school or college since she has crossed the permissible age.
“The education comes next only to freedom and justice, and, in fact, is a prerequisite to maintain both, freedom as well as justice in its true sense. In a course such as B.Ed, apart from benefiting a person seeking admission to the course is also likely to benefit others to whom education is imparted by him/her. The
attempt of the university, therefore, should be to encourage and not discourage admissions to such a course,” added the order.