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Synopsis

The Delhi High Court has recently rejected a petition challenging the appointment of senior IAS officer Nidhi Chibber as the Chairperson of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE).

The bench of Justice Chandra Dhari Singh dismissed the plea brought forth by the Independent School Federation of India. The basis for this dismissal was a thorough evaluation that led to the conclusion that Nidhi Chibber met the necessary criteria for the position.

Justice Singh said, "In the instant case, this Court is not inclined to issue a writ of Quo Warranto, as no prima facie case is made out by learned counsel for the petitioner and the respondent no. 3 (Chibber) has the qualification to be appointed as the Chairperson, Central Board of Secondary Education. In view of the foregoing discussion, this Court is of the view that the instant writ petition filed by the petitioner is nothing but a gross misuse of the process of law. Accordingly, the instant petition, along with the pending application, stands dismissed."

The petition challenging Nidhi Chibber's appointment contended that her placement in the role was part of a bureaucratic reshuffle and that she was ineligible for the position due to her lack of the requisite three years of experience in the field of education.

However, the counsel representing Chibber argued that she indeed possessed the necessary experience and qualifications as stipulated in the vacancy circular issued.

Upon careful consideration of the case, the Delhi High Court decisively ruled that the petition "lacked merit" and "no grounds" existed to remove Chibber from her position as the Chairperson of the Central Board of Secondary Education. 

Case Title: Independent School Federation of India & Anr v The Union of India & Ors.