Today, On 15th May, The Delhi High Court issued a warning of contempt action against the Delhi government schools. This warning is due to their failure to supply textbooks to students on time. The court emphasized the importance of ensuring timely access to educational materials for students’ academic progress.
New Delhi: The Delhi High Court cautioned on Wednesday that it would initiate suo motu contempt proceedings against the Deputy Director of the Education department for the government’s failure to provide textbooks to students enrolled in government schools.
A Division Bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora observed that the government, in its affidavit dated May 2, assured that textbooks would be distributed to students by May 10, prior to the commencement of summer vacations.
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However, a report dated May 15 indicated that the distribution would not be completed until July.
Expressing strong dissatisfaction with the delay, the Bench criticized the government for setting a deadline and then failing to adhere to it.
The Court remarked,
“This is unacceptable; we will hold you accountable. It is not appropriate to set a deadline and then fail to meet it,”
Nevertheless, the Court refrained from issuing a notice after assurance from Delhi government’s Standing Counsel Santosh Kumar Tripathi that students would receive their books before schools reopen after summer vacations in July.
The Court directed,
“The court was inclined to initiate suo motu contempt proceedings against the deponent of the affidavit dated May 2nd. However, Mr. Tripathi assured the court and undertook that the updated undertaking and status report, dated May 15, would be complied with. Upon request, the order is postponed until the next hearing date,”
The court then scheduled the case for a future hearing in July. One of the reasons provided by the government for the delay in textbook supply attributed to changes in the syllabus.
During the proceedings, the Bench addressed a public interest litigation (PIL) that had been filed by an organization called Social Jurist. The PIL raised concerns about the lack of infrastructure facilities in government schools located in the national capital.
Advocate Ashok Agarwal represented the petitioner in court.
According to a report dated May 15, 2024, it revealed that out of the 7,073 schools, textbooks had not yet been supplied to 4,215 schools (59.5%). The report also indicated that the government schools had a total demand for approximately 1.08 crore textbooks, but only 23.25 lakh books (21.34%) had been supplied so far.
The High Court’s directive to the Delhi government to ensure that all government schools receive the necessary textbooks without further delay. The court also mandated a compliance report to be submitted, detailing the steps taken by the government to rectify the situation. This report expected to outline the logistical measures implemented to expedite the procurement and distribution of textbooks across schools.