Karnataka High Court Seeks Experts' Views On Revamping Public Schools In State

The Karnataka High Court on Thursday directed the Center for Child and the Law (NLSIU,Bengaluru), Dr V P Niranjanaradhya and Advocate B Sudha, to jointly submit a draft road map for the purpose of providing infrastructure facilities in government and aided schools in the state in a timely basis.

A division bench of Justice B V Nagarathna and Justice P Krishna Bhat said "The experts in the field submitted that they would prepare a draft road map in some time and place it before court so that the department thereafter can give views on the road map. Thereafter, it can be finalised so that there is a goal set as a vision statement for the department to follow in the matters of providing infrastructure facilities to government and aided schools, having regard to the object and purpose of Article 21A of the Constitution of India and Right To Education Act."

On July 19, dissatisfied with the way the state government intends to spend Rs. 100 crore budget allocated towards infrastructure development in government schools across the state, the High had issued notice to the National Law School of India University (NLSIU) to appear before it and assist the court in order to prepare a road map on the subject.

It had said "We issue notice to Center for Child and the Law (NLSIU Bengaluru) and to Dr V P Niranjanaradhya, Senior fellow CCL NLSIU, so as to assist this court in this case in order to prepare a road map for providing infrastructure in the government/aided schools throughout the state bearing in mind the funds available and other factors."

Advocate Aditya Narayan appearing for the center had informed the court that Dr. V.P.Niranjan Aradhya is no longer with the Centre at NLSIU. Following which the court had appointed Narayan as amicus curiae appearing for the Centre, NLSIU. He was requested to make available the address of Dr. V.P.Niranjan Aradhya so that notice could be issued to him also.

During the hearing today, Dr Niranjanaradhya appeared through video conferencing and submitted that there has been gross violation in providing basic facilities to government and aided schools in the state, thus there is decline in the number of students attending the schools.

He stated that there are around 4,216 government/aided schools in the state where the student strength is below 10. Further, there are 10,341 schools whose student strength is below 25 and 23,629 schools whose student strength is less than 50 students. He said "As a result of lack of infrastructure more or less these schools are on the verge of closure. Education being a Fundamental Right under Article 21A we have not really taken steps to strengthen the infrastructure facilities so that we can strengthen the public education system to honour the Fundamental right of the children."

The state government had earlier informed the court that a sum of Rs. 88 crore was allotted for infrastructure in the year 2020-21 and an amount of Rs. 100 crore has been allotted in the year 2021-22 for school infrastructure. It intends to spend the sum at the rate of 2 crore each on schools for 50 Karnataka Public schools, for providing infrastructure which would be released in four installments of Rs. 25 crore each.

To which the bench had said "Prima facie we are not satisfied with the action plan submitted by the state and hence for the purpose of assistance in this matter and also to gather the true and correct picture as well as ground reality prevailing in respect of infrastructure in govt and aided schools in state, we think it just and proper to hear a few persons/entities involved in the field of education of children in government and aided schools."

The court issued the direction while hearing a petition filed by the Anti-Corruption Council of India highlighting the lack of infrastructure in government and aided schools in the state. The matter will be next heard on August 19.