"0.1% Of Kumbh Budget Could Have Saved 125 Marathi Schools": Supreme Court Judge Justice Prasanna B Varale
Supreme Court judge Justice Prasanna B Varale, who spoke on shrinking education budgets and school closures at a smart classes inauguration event in Dhule, Maharashtra
Supreme Court judge Justice Prasanna B Varale has flagged what he called the dismal state of education funding in Maharashtra, pointing out that Marathi-medium schools shutting down across the state could have been saved with a fraction of the money spent on the Nashik Kumbh Mela.
"Even 0.1 per cent of the Nashik Kumbh expenditure could have saved 100-125 Marathi schools from closing down," Justice Varale said, speaking at the inauguration ceremony of "smart classes" at a high school in Maharashtra's Dhule district.
Justice Varale pointed out that the government allocates between Rs 32,000 crore and Rs 34,000 crore for the Kumbh Mela, and a further Rs 11,000 crore for corridor projects. Had merely 0.1 per cent of this amount; approximately Rs 32 crore, been spent instead, he said, 100 to 125 Marathi-medium schools across the state that have shut down could have been saved.
"Studying in the regional language has never hindered my career"
In this context, Justice Varale remarked that he completed his schooling up to the 10th grade in municipal and Zilla Parishad Marathi-medium schools, and that studying in the regional language never hindered his career; instead, he said, it broadened his perspective.
"I have expressed what I truly feel in my heart," Justice Varale later told in an interview. "Children are the future of the country... Essential facilities must be provided for children in schools. Primary education and healthcare are fundamental rights of every citizen," he added.
Earlier in his remarks, Justice Varale expressed concern that despite a growing student population, the education budget has consistently shrunk rather than increased, failing to even reach the 13 per cent mark for several years.
Highlighting the dismal state of rural school infrastructure, Justice Varale cited a tragic incident at a school connected to a religious institution, where three female students; forced to sleep on the floor due to a lack of proper facilities, died from snakebites.
He contrasted this with what he described as the government's willingness to allocate huge sums for events like the Nashik-Trimbakeshwar Simhastha Kumbh Mela and to release substantial funds for corridor projects.
[Inputs: NDTV, TOI]