As lakhs of primary schools students of East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) and the North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) attend school without any notebooks, the Delhi High Court on Thursday cautioned the civic agencies that it will monitor the distribution of notebooks from the next academic session.
Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva said the court will monitor the process to ensure that students get their notebooks and other study material from April 1, the beginning of the session, as is done in private schools.
The court made the remark when advocate and activist Ashok Agarwal said the civic bodies would continue to work in the same fashion.
The activist prayed to the court to fix responsibility on some officials, as they are guilty of negligence.
Action against officials
Disquieted by the fact that both the EDMC and NDMC had failed to provide notebooks to nearly six lakh primary school students, the court asked why an inquiry should be not initiated against the officials concerned.
The EDMC said it will start distribution of notebooks in its schools next week and will cover all the students within a month. The NDMC claimed that only schools in the Rohini zone are yet to get the notebooks, and that the same will be done within three days.
According to the Right to Education Act, the corporation is supposed to provide each primary school student five subject notebooks and a drawing book free of cost on April 1. The court has fixed the matter for further hearing on August 17.
Earlier, the court had remarked that EDMC officials should not be given salary till the mandatory writing material is given to students. Mr. Agarwal had brought to the court’s attention how over two lakh students of 388 EDMC schools had not received their notebooks even five months into the current session. The situation was the same in NDMC schools. The matter came to light when some students approached the advocate over the sorry state of affairs.
“Although the students are studying in primary schools run by the municipal corporations, it is ultimately the responsibility of the Delhi government to implement the provisions of Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009. It cannot act as mere spectator when poor children are denied their rights,” he added.
The Delhi Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Rules provide that all students should be given free textbooks, writing material and uniforms. A differently-abled child has to be provided special learning and support material free of cost.
Mr. Agarwal informed that the issue as to what constitutes “writing material” and if it means just notebooks or also includes stationery are being debated in another petition before the Delhi High Court.
He said: “Only five notebooks are not sufficient and even that is not being given to the students. It is very shameful on the part of the civic body. How is a student going to study without notebook and other stationery?”
Lakhs of primary students attending class without notebooks 5 months since session began
