Delhi HC slams govt over policy to transfer money to students for school uniforms

Delhi High Court criticized the Delhi government's plan to provide cash for school uniforms instead of following its previous order to supply them in kind.

The Delhi High Court on Friday expressed displeasure over the Delhi government’s decision to frame a policy for directly transferring money to the bank accounts of students in government schools, as well as Economically Weaker Section (EWS) and disadvantaged group students in private unaided schools, for purchasing school uniforms, in violation of its earlier orders.

(HT Archive)

This was after Delhi government’s lawyer urged the court to recall its 2014 orders directing the government to supply free textbooks, uniform and writing material in kind. He asserted that the Council of Ministers on May 10 agreed to the Directorate of Education’s (DOE) proposal for increasing the amount of money given to students for school uniforms through Direct Bank Transfers (DBT) mode, due to “operational difficulties” in providing it in kind, from academic session 2025-26 onwards.

According to the revised rates, notified on June 10, students in Classes I-V will now receive ₹1,250, those in Classes VI-VIII will receive ₹1,500, and those in Classes IX-XII will receive ₹1,700. It will apply to students in government and aided schools, as well as to children from the EWS and DG categories, studying in private schools under the RTE and Freeship quota.

“After 11 years, you want us to recall the order? You (Delhi government) could have filed a review petition. Was it not your duty to seek clarification before introducing the policy? If you were to change the policy, you are under an obligation to make averments that you wanted to change,” the bench said to Delhi government’s lawyer.

It added, “Was it not expected from you to apprise the court? You promulgated the policy in violation of the court order. This is contempt. Contemptuous attitude and having the audacity to come before this court for recall of the order?”.

Acknowledging the court’s concerns, the counsel agreed to file an application modifying its request and seeking a different form of relief instead of asking for a recall of the earlier orders.

Accordingly, the court listed the matter for Thursday.

The issue stemmed from a petition filed by NGO Justice For All in 2013, highlighting the government’s failure to provide free uniforms as mandated under the Right to Education (RTE) Act. The high court in April 2023, had disposed of the petition, taking note of its 2014 orders and Delhi government’s assurance in a separate contempt petition, of providing uniform to students and not giving cash in lieu of the uniform.