The Delhi High Court Wednesday permitted a student, who was not allowed to play in a cricket match organised by the Directorate of Education over a delay in the issuance of his birth certificate, to participate in it.
The 13-year-old boy challenged one of the requirements of the circular issued by the Delhi government’s Directorate of Education (Sports branch) which stipulates that the birth certificate of the student concerned must be issued within one year of his or her date of birth. His birth certificate was issued three years after his birth.
The high court said the material on record discloses that the petitioner child has a very bright future and he is the captain of the cricket team of Delhi Public School, R K Puram.
“The petitioner’s career should not be spoiled because of the inability to produce the birth certificate issued by the municipality within one year from the date of birth. It is nobody’s case that the birth certificate of the petitioner issued by the municipality at Patna is not correct,” Justice Subramonium Prasad said in an interim order.
“In the interest of justice, this court is inclined to permit the petitioner herein to participate and represent the school in the discipline of cricket in the ensuing Delhi State School Games (Under-14 Cricket) for the year 2023-24 which is being conducted from October 18, 2023 to October 31, 2023,” the court said.
The petitioner, through advocate Chandra Prakash, has challenged the requirement of producing a birth certificate which must be issued by the municipal authority within one year from the date of birth of the student for participating in the Delhi State School Games (Under-14 Cricket) for the year 2023-24.
The games are being conducted from October 18 to 31 and the match in which the petitioner has to participate is scheduled for Thursday, October 26.
The interim application sought to permit the petitioner to participate in the games.
The petitioner’s counsel submitted that the boy was born in Bihar’s Patna and thereafter the family shifted to Delhi where his father was working.
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It was stated that the boy was admitted in Delhi Public School, R K Puram here on the basis of the birth certificate issued by the municipality in Patna and it was issued three years after his birth.
The lawyer contended that several petitions on the same issue are pending before the high court which has directed the state government to consider the viability of continuing with such a clause as it results in a lot of hardships for students who come from rural background and do not have birth certificates issued within one year from their date of birth.
They cannot be denied permission to participate in the games only because they do not possess a certificate of birth issued by a municipality within one year from the date of birth, the lawyer said.
