The Karnataka High Court on Monday ordered issue of notice to the State government while suo motu treating as a public interest litigation petition a report, “The glitches that dog RTE implementation”, in The Hindu on March 31 based on a State-level meet on the RTE Act held in the city recently.
The report said that during the meet, organised by the People’s Alliance for Right to Education (PAFRE), a facilitator of the organisation, quoting government’s figures, had stated that “54,000 children are still out of school…” “If the news item is correct, then it is a serious violation on a massive scale. About 54,000 children are not going to schools means that they may be engaged as child labourers and in other activities… their future is dark,” a Division Bench comprising Chief Justice D.H. Waghela and Justice B.V. Nagarathna orally observed during the hearing.
It has been pointed out in the petition that a large number of students being out of school would mean that provisions of the RTE Act are not being properly implemented.
The Bench directed the government to file its affidavit and also to ascertain details about the PAFRE so that it could be treated as intervener in the present proceedings to assist the court.
The court has appointed advocate Aditya Sondhi as amicus curiae in the matter.
