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Synopsis

The Delhi High Court on Thursday issued notice in a public interest litigation plea that alleged that the Delhi Government schools in North East Delhi area are following a pattern of teaching mechanism wherein they are either imparting only 2 hrs of daily education or teaching on alternate days thereby affecting the education of more than 1 lakh students.

A division bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Subramonium Prasad asked the counsel appearing for Delhi Government to submit its response and listed the matter for hearing on December 7, 2022.

The petition has been filed by a lawyers organization, Social Jurist, a civil rights group through Advocates Ashok Agarwal and Kumar Utkarsh alleging that some of the schools run by the government of NCT of Delhi in North East District area namely, schools at Khajuri, Sabhapur, Tukbirpur, Sonia Vihar, Karawal Nagar, etc., are either imparting only 2 hours of daily education or teaching on alternate days.

"The inaction on the part of respondent Government violates the fundamental right to education of students as guaranteed under Articles 14, 21 and 21-A of the Constitution of India read with provisions of Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009," the plea added.

The plea submitted that students studying in some of the government run schools in the North East District area have complained to Social Jurist's friendly organisation All India Parents Association that they are facing problems in getting full-time education in schools.

Furthermore, the plea submitted that "on an average 5000-6000 students are enrolled in each of the schools thus nearly 1 lakh students enrolled in these schools are facing more or less the same situation. This is really an alarming situation where our marginalized students are not getting full attention from Delhi Government in matter of their education."

"it is the duty of schools of respondent Government to impart education to students in terms of Schedule Norms and Standards for School of Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 i.e. minimum number of working days as 200 and minimum 800 instructional hours for classes I to V and 220 working days and 1000 instructional hours for classes VI to VIII in an academic year," the plea added.

Case Title: Social Jurist, A Civil Rights Group Vs. Government of NCT of Delhi