Sports Calendar Cannot Be Changed Merely Due To Air Pollution: Delhi Govt Tells Delhi High Court In Plea By Students

In a recent hearing, the Delhi High Court was informed by the Delhi government that it cannot amend the annual school sports calendar to prohibit outdoor sporting events during the winter months, despite continuing concerns over hazardous air quality in the National Capital Region.

The matter arose in a petition titled Nysa Bedi vs Government of Delhi, filed by a group of school students. The petitioners have sought directions to the Department of Education to ensure that outdoor sports tournaments, trials and coaching camps are not scheduled between November and January, when Delhi’s air quality frequently falls into the “severe” and “hazardous” categories.

According to the petitioners, holding strenuous sporting activities during such periods compels students to expose themselves to toxic air, thereby jeopardising their health. They argued that this amounts to a violation of their fundamental rights under Articles 21 and 21A of the Constitution, which guarantee the right to life and the right to education.

Appearing for the Delhi government, Standing Counsel Sameer Vashisht submitted that the administration must take into account the practical and logistical considerations involved in organising sporting activities for thousands of students across schools. He informed the court that implementing a blanket prohibition on outdoor sports during winter months would not be feasible given the scale of operations and scheduling constraints.

Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav, who was presiding over the matter, expressed caution about the extent to which the court could intervene in administrative decision making, particularly in matters involving policy choices such as the preparation of a sports calendar.

Clarifying the nature of earlier observations made in November 2025, the court stated that they were not binding directions but merely a request that authorities make an “endeavour” to address the issue.

“The Court understands that they are children. The department also understands… they have some difficulty and cannot redo it for some reason. We can adjust the decision taken but we cannot take the decision,” the court observed.

The court indicated that while it cannot dictate how the government schedules its sports events, it would expect the authorities to provide proper reasons if they choose not to modify the calendar after applying their best judgment.

At this stage, no binding directive has been issued by the court. The matter has been listed for further hearing on March 24, 2026.

During the proceedings, it was also brought to the court’s attention that the Supreme Court has directed the Commission for Air Quality Management to consider including sporting activities within the scope of the Graded Response Action Plan. The GRAP framework is an emergency mechanism designed to control polluting activities in the region during periods of deteriorating air quality.

The case thus raises broader questions about balancing children’s health concerns with administrative feasibility, while also highlighting the evolving regulatory approach to air pollution in the capital.

Case Title: Nysa Bedi v. Government of Delhi