Delhi HC reprimands state govt over tin-shed schools

A bench led by chief justice DK Upadhyay and justice Tushar Rao Gedela expressed shock over the dire condition of the schools, while hearing a plea filed by NGO Social Jurist

New Delhi

The court, during the hearing, also criticised the government’s push for shutting private schools, while failing to maintain its own institutions. (Representative photo)

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday reprimanded the Delhi government for its failure to provide basic infrastructure in several government schools, including Sarvodaya Kanya Vidyalaya at Kamla Market and Government Boys and Girls Secondary Schools in Ashok Nagar, where students are being forced to study in tin-shed classrooms that lack proper desks, walls, and essential facilities.

A bench led by chief justice DK Upadhyay and justice Tushar Rao Gedela expressed shock over the dire condition of the schools, while hearing a plea filed by NGO Social Jurist, which sought directions to the Delhi government to demolish the tin-shed structures and immediately construct state-of-the-art school buildings. The NGO, in its petition filed by advocate Ashok Agarwal, asserted that the government’s failure to provide basic infrastructure was arbitrary, unjust and violative of the fundamental right to education.

“This is sad. Students are studying in tin sheds. No desks, tables, or walls. This should not be happening. Not after 70 years of independence,” the bench said to Delhi government’s lawyer Sameer Vashith.

The court, during the hearing, also criticised the government’s push for shutting private schools, while failing to maintain its own institutions. It warned that closing well-functioning private schools without first addressing the deficiencies in the public education system could have serious consequences.

“Please see the photographs of the schools, and then your department, the Directorate of Education (DOE) insists that private schools should wind up. You are unable to take care of your own children, your own schools, and you’re doing everything to ensure that private institutions who do something, they should shut down. All those children will come back to you and then you’ll shut down because because you will not have anything,” the bench remarked.

The Delhi government’s lawyer, Sameer Vashisht, assured the court to take preventive measures and urged the court to grant him one week to seek complete instructions.

Taking note of Vashisht’s submission, the bench scheduled the next hearing for September 17.

“As prayed by Shri Sameer Vashisht, list on next Wednesday when he will have complete instructions,” the court said in its order.