The Delhi High Court criticised the government for scheduling outdoor sports during peak pollution months, warning that “school students cannot be called for damage to lungs.”
The Court has sought a reply within four weeks and asked the government to reschedule sports events from next year.
New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday issued a notice to the Delhi government’s Department of Education after a petition asked the court to stop outdoor sports events in the national capital during the months when pollution levels are very high.
Justice Sachin Datta has asked the Delhi government to file its reply within four weeks. The Court also told the government to think about changing the annual sports calendar from next year so that outdoor sports are not held during the most polluted months.’
During the hearing, the Court criticised the Delhi government for not taking responsibility for children’s health and for not understanding the seriousness of the air pollution problem.
The Court said,
“School students cannot be called for damage to lungs. You are shirking your responsibility. Do you recognise that there is a problem in these months?”
This came after the Delhi Government’s Standing Counsel Sameer Vashisht argued that students cannot be stopped from taking part in sports events only because of air pollution.
In response, the Court repeated,
“School students cannot be called for damage to lungs. You are shirking your responsibility.”
The Court told the Delhi Government that it must plan the sports calendar in a better way so that very few outdoor sports events fall during the winter months, when pollution levels in Delhi usually reach the ‘severe’ and ‘hazardous’ category.
The Court said,
“You plan in a way for future years that there are minimal sports fixtures in these months. As far as Delhi is concerned, you must start your games immediately after Boards exams. They are asking only for next year. Don’t schedule events in this month. You have to amend your calendar accordingly.”
The case was filed by a group of minor schoolchildren who want the Education Department to prepare the annual sports calendar in a way that avoids scheduling zonal, inter-zonal, state, and national-level outdoor sports events during peak winter pollution months.
The petition says that every year, outdoor sports are held at a time when the air quality in Delhi is verifiably poor, which forces children to do heavy physical activity in toxic air.
The children argue that this violates their fundamental rights under Articles 21 and 21A of the Constitution, which relate to the right to life and the right to education.
Senior Advocate Shyel Trehan, representing the students, told the Court that making children stay outdoors and participate in sports when the Air Quality Index (AQI) is extremely high is dangerous for their health.
She told the Court that,
“They are destroying children’s lungs. This is shocking. They are criminally negligent. They have clustered all sporting activities in November,”
and also showed medical evidence and photos from a pulmonologist about the impact of polluted air on a child’s lungs.
She suggested that sports events should begin earlier in the year. She said,
“My suggestion, Your Lordship, is that let them start in April. April is a dead month for sports. The air is good or better than we normally have.”
Standing Counsel Sameer Vashisht replied that many sports events are actually held indoors and that these winter months were earlier considered ideal for outdoor competitions.
He said,
“These months used to be a treat in Delhi. Summers are harsh.”
The High Court was also informed that the Supreme Court on the same day had asked the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) to consider including sporting activities in the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP).
GRAP is a special action plan which lists what activities should be restricted or stopped when pollution levels rise in Delhi.
The Delhi High Court will hear the case again on January 13, 2026.
Senior Advocate Shyel Trehan appeared for the petitioner parents along with advocates Manjira Dasgupta, Bhargav Ravindran Thali, Rohan Poddar, Mayank Khaitan, and Vidhi Jain.
Standing Counsel Sameer Vashisht represented the Delhi Government for the Department of Education.
Case Title:
Nysa Bedi vs Government of Delhi
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