Gauhati HC Dismisses PIL Seeking Universalisation Of Elementary Education Among Children Of Privately-Run Madrassas

The Gauhati High Court today dismissed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) petition filed by a lawyer seeking, inter alia, Universalisation of Elementary Education among the children of privately-run religious Madrassas in accordance with the Right to Free and Compulsory Education guaranteed under Article 21-A of the Constitution of India.

Dismissing the PIL, the Bench of Justice N. Kotiswar Singh and Justice Manish Choudhury observed thus:

"We do not see how the petitioner in person, a practicing lawyer is directly involved or affected with any of the issues raised in this petition. We are not convinced about his locus standi."

However, the Court did add that if any of the Madrassas has any grievance, it would be at liberty to approach the Court.

The PIL had been preferred by one Sahin Bahar Laskar praying for the following directions to be issued to the State respondents:

• For taking necessary actions for the attainment of Universalisation of Elementary Education among the children of privately-run religious Madrassas in accordance with the right to Free and Compulsory Education guaranteed under Article 21-Aof the Constitution of India and the laws enacted thereunder;
• To take necessary action and ensure that all the privately-run Madrassas and such other institutions, where children below the age of 14 years are admitted, are included in UDISE Plus (Unified District Information System for Education) under NIC (National Informatics Centre), and to cause registering of privately-run Madrassas as Minority Institutions as per Minutes of the meeting, dated 25.10.2019 of Project Approval Board for the Centrally Sponsored Scheme for Providing Quality Education to Madrassa; and
• For making necessary regulations for compulsory permission and recognition of privately-run Madrassas and such other institutions, where children below the age of 14 years are admitted, as Non-govt. Educational Institution

Case title - Sahin Bahar Laskar v. the state of Assam and others

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