Bengaluru, DHNS: The Karnataka High Court on Monday directed private schools claiming linguistic minority status, to reserve 25% seats under the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE)Act, 2009, for the academic year 2017-2018.

National Public School, Sharada Vidyalaya, New Horizon Educational and Cultural Trust, Sindhi School and others had approached the high court contending that they are linguistic minoritiy institutions and the RTE Act doesn’t apply to them. The petitioners had contended that the state government does not have the power to grant certificate for linguistic minority. They contended that only the National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions could certify their minority status.

Justice L Narayana Swamy, while disposing of a batch of petitions, said in the order that schools with state syllabus will have to approach the body set up by the state government to claim their linguistic minority status while those following the Central syllabus have to approach a designated officer at the Centre. The judge directed the state and Central governments to process their applications in four months from the time the schools applied for the status.

Animal sacrifice
The high court on Monday said complaints related to illegal animal sacrifice have to be reported to the local police where the sacrifice is likely to take place.

Disposing of a PIL seeking a ban on animal sacrifice and the inaction of government officials, a division bench, headed by Justice H G Ramesh, passed this order.

He said that local police have the jurisdictional powers to take action against any illegal activity and not the deputy commissioner or the superintendent of police of that place.

Vishwa Prani Kalyana Mandali had filed a PIL to ban animal sacrifices.