High Court Seeks Response From Delhi Govt Over Inadequate Staff, Infrastructure At State Run Schools

The Delhi High Court has issued notice on a public interest litigation pointing out deficiencies, both of infrastructure and in staff, at the government-run schools in the national capital.

A Division Bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Vipin Sanghi and Justice Sachin Datta has directed the Delhi government to file a status report in this regard and apprise the Court of the proposed steps to ameliorate the situation. 

"File an affidavit disclosing the current status of number of existing vacancies of teachers, vice-principals and principals in the schools run by GNCTD. Respondent should also place on record the steps taken by it to fill the vacancies and the timeline within which such vacancies will be filled. The status report shall also indicate the deficiency of infrastructure in the said schools and how the government is going to deal with the same," the Bench ordered.

The development comes in the petition filed by one Salek Chand Jain, alleging that 45,503 posts of teachers are lying vacant in 1,027 government schools in Delhi. It is further alleged that several schools do not have well-equipped libraries, computer labs, science labs, etc., thereby affecting quality education.

"Without the teachers, the students in the government schools are deprived of their fundamental right to education," the plea added.

The affidavit is directed to be filed within 6 weeks. Matter will next be heard on November 9.

Case Title: Salek Chand Jain v. GNCTD