HomeNewsDelhi High CourtDelhi High Court seeks Delhi Government response on not providing free books to poorPrint4/16/2012

New Delhi, Delhi [India]

Delhi High Court has sought an explanation from the Delhi government over the delay in distributing free books to tens of thousands of poor students studying in government schools...

Delhi High Court has sought an explanation from the Delhi government over the delay in distributing free books to tens of thousands of poor students studying in government schools.

A bench comprising acting Chief Justice A K Sikri and Justice Rajiv Sahai Endlaw yesterday directed the Education director to reply by April 25.

The High Court observed that the academic session for 2012-13 had already started but the students of state-run schools were without books till now.

The government has sanctioned a huge amount of funds for poor children studying in Municipal Corporation schools, Delhi Administration schools as well as for government-aided schools but the books were not being given to them in time, it added.

The bench asked, 'How would the students do their home work in summer vacations without the books?' The High Court's remarks came on the petition of lawyer Ashok Agrawal who said the Government was making mockery of the Right to Education Act and not providing proper infrastructure and books to poor students studying in government-run schools in the capital.

Mr Agrawal contended that over one million students studying in MCD primary schools and 800,000 students in state government schools were without books even though the current academic session had started.

He contended that the government was supposed to provide the study material including bags, textbooks, exercise books and pencils and should have been distributed to the students on the day their annual result was declared in March.

The Delhi Bureau of Textbooks is an autonomous body supervised by the education directorate. It has the copyright over National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) textbooks and reprints it in Hindi, the petitioner said, adding that this year the books have not been printed till now.

'Failing to provide proper infrastructure for students to study, is no less a criminal negligence on the part of the educational institutions and amounts to mockery of the right to education,' Mr Agarwal said.

Delhi High Court, Delhi Government, Distributing Free Books, Poor Students Studying in Government Schools, Chief Justice A K Sikri, Justice Rajiv Sahai Endlaw, Education Director, Poor Children Studying in MCD School, Municipal Corporation, Right to Education Act, MCD Primary Schools, State Government Schools, Delhi Bureau of Textbooks, National Council of Educational Research and Training