Delhi High Court Grills State Government Over Delay in School Book Distribution

The Delhi High Court has expressed concerns regarding the delay in distributing books to students in government schools, as reported by PTI on Tuesday, May 7. Noting that the first session of the academic year has nearly passed without book distribution, the court questioned authorities about the reasons behind the delay despite government expenditure on publication and distribution.

Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Manmeet PS Arora voiced their perplexity, questioning why the distribution couldn’t be executed on time when funds were allocated for the purpose. They pointed out that while certain classes experienced syllabus changes causing delays, private schools continued teaching uninterrupted.

A public interest litigation prompted this inquiry. The court was informed by a Delhi government official that despite the delay in distributing new books, lessons were ongoing with the utilization of existing ones. Funds had been allocated for Classes IX to XII for book purchases, with distribution underway.

However, Ashok Agarwal, representing the petitioner NGO Social Jurist, highlighted that many students from Classes I to XII were still awaiting books or funds for purchasing them, along with uniforms. The official assured that distribution for all classes was underway, citing syllabus changes as the reason for the delay in printing materials for Classes VI to VIII.

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Furthermore, updates on six newly constructed school buildings were provided. Two buildings were already in use, with the shifting process ongoing for a third. The remaining constructions were slated for completion by August 1 and October 1, respectively. The court accepted the undertaking from the government counsel and urged authorities to maximize infrastructure utilization by repurposing vacated buildings for new schools.

The Delhi government also committed to ensuring the purchase and delivery of dual desks to schools, as indicated in a status report submitted to the court. Despite challenges like space constraints and high population density, efforts to maintain and improve basic amenities in schools continue, with a focus on controlling the student-to-classroom ratio.