Children Can't Be Forced To Attend Coaching: Delhi High Court Dismisses PIL Seeking Policy To Connect Coaching Centres With Schools

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday dismissed a public interest litigation seeking directions on the Delhi Government to frame a policy to connect coaching centres with schools and colleges.

A division bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Sanjeev Narula observed that the court cannot direct the Delhi Government to frame such a policy and thus, it found no reason to grant the relief as prayed in the matter.

The bench observed that coaching is optional and not mandatory and that no child can be forced to attend coaching centres.

“Otherwise also, we cannot direct the State Government to frame a policy to connect coaching centres with schools and colleges and to partner with them. We find no reason to grant the relief as prayed for in the PIL. The same is dismissed,” the court said.

The bench rejected the plea moved by Girish Kumari Gupta who did not appear when the matter was taken up for hearing.

It was Gupta’s grievance that a large number of coaching centres are in existence in the country and thus, the Delhi Government should frame a policy to connect them with schools and college institutions.

Delhi Government’s standing counsel Santosh Kumar Tripathi submitted that a mandamus cannot be issued to the government to enact a law and that it is not possible to connect such coaching centres to schools and colleges as prayed in the PIL.

“In the considered opinion of this court, coaching is optional and not mandatory…and no child can be forced to attend coaching centres,” the court said.

Case Title: Girish Kumari Gupta v. UOI and Ors.

Citation: 2023 LiveLaw (Del) 733