Delhi violates RTE clause, delays providing books to 18 lakh children

Delhi violates RTE clause, delays providing books to 18 lakh children

Delhi HC seeks explanation for failure to distribute 1.2 crore free books in MCD and government schools

Shonali Ghosal 
New Delhi

It is the season for Delhi’s Right to Education (RTE) violations to come tumbling out, one after the other. Just two weeks after CRY’s status report on the implementation of RTE in Delhi, which exposed several irregularities, there are still more pouring out. The Delhi High Court on Friday lashed out at the Delhi government for failing to print and provide in time, approximately 1.2 crore free textbooks to over 18 lakh students studying in Classes I - VIII in MCD and Delhi government schools (10 lakhs of MCD schools and 8 lakhs of Delhi Govt schools). The current academic session for these students started on 1 April, almost two weeks ago.

In the previous hearing on 11 April, the joint bench of acting Chief Justice AK Sikri and Justice Rajiv Sahai Enlaw had remarked that it was “a shocking state of affairs” when advocate Ashok Agarwal pointed out that while the students study without books, the books hadn’t even been printed yet. The court had then ordered the Delhi government to specify by Friday’s hearing, the date on which the books would be made available to the students.

To that, Amit Singla, Director of Education who was present in Court, offered a deadline of July owing to tender and printing problems, only to be received by a flurry of questions by the Justice Sikri. “Why have you not made books available to the students on the 1st of the current session? You are saying books would be made available in July. How will students do their home work in the summer vacations without the books? Why have you not started the process of tendering and printing books well in advance?” he inquired.

Advocate Agarwal said, “Thought the Delhi government said that it is working on overtime and has employed five additional printers. It would be extremely damaging and demoralising for the children to receive the books only in July. If we don’t raise questions, they won’t act. This is a clear violation and a mockery of the RTE.” The Director of Education remained unavailable for comment.

However, the bench also ordered the Director of Education to explain the details on the affidavit by the next hearing on 25 April 2012, as to why the books were not distributed to the students in time. Clearly, silence is not an option.

Shonali Ghosal is a Correspondent with Tehelka.

Source: Tehelka