The Delhi High Court on Friday asked the Centre and the city government to respond to a petition seeking directions to provide free laptops, tablets or mobile phones to poor kids so that they can access online classes during the COVID-19 lockdown.
A Bench of Justice Manmohan and Justice Sanjeev Narula also issued notices to the municipal corporations and 10 private unaided schools here seeking their stand on the plea by an NGO — Justice for All — by the next date of hearing on June 10.
The NGO has contended that the private unaided schools’ decision to conduct classes via videoconferencing would affect over 50,000 students belonging to the economically weaker sections (EWS).
The petition has contended that not providing the laptop, phone and high-speed internet, free of cost, to the poor kids would amount to a violation of their fundamental right to education.
“The children belonging to EWS or disadvantaged group category are protected under Article 21A of the Constitution for getting an equitable quality education and the State is duty-bound to remove all financial barriers coming in the way of getting quality education in the same manner as their counterpart fee-paying students,” the NGO said.
