Access To Education: Karnataka High Court Issues Notice To BBMP For Door To Door Survey Of School Going Children

The report dated 26th July was submitted to the Karnataka High Court, stating that in urban areas, apart from Bengaluru city, 8,781 children in the age group of 6-18 years are not going to school. Further, the tentative data indicates that around 4800 children in urban areas have not enrolled in any school.

Senior Advocate K N Phaneendra appearing as amicus curiae submitted that though under Sub Rule (1) of Rule (6) of the Karnataka Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Rules, 2012, house to house survey was required to be carried out for all the children of the age group of 0-14 years, the Rural Development and Panchayath Raj Department has taken a welcome step of conducting a survey of the children in the age group of 0 to 18 years.

He also expressed concern that the survey required to be conducted by the local body - Bruhath Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike has not even commenced. He pointed out that BBMP wants to conduct a 'house to house' survey of the children in the age group of 06 to 14 years who are out of school.

A division bench of Chief Justice Abhay Oka and Justice N S Sanjay Gowda said,

"The learned Senior counsel is right in submitting that the survey to be conducted by the BBMP should be as per the survey conducted by Rural Development and Panchayath Raj Department."

The court directed the Secretary of Urban Development Department to issue a direction for BBMP to conduct door to door survey on par with the door to door survey conducted as per the directions of the Rural Development and Panchayath Raj Department. The data collected during the survey shall be compiled in the manner suggested in Clause (1) of the recommendations of the learned Amicus Curiae.

The order further stated, "As regards BBMP, apart from directing the Department of Urban Development to do the needful, we propose to issue directions to BBMP. Accordingly, we direct the Registrar (Judicial) to issue notice to the BBMP though its Chief Commissioner at the official email ID of BBMP calling upon it to be represented before this Court on the next date."

Further, the State government is told to respond to the very serious issue of a large number of children either not attending the school or not even getting admitted to a school. It said,

"We may also clarify here that in any case, as per Sub Rule (1) of Rule (6) of Rules of 2012, the BBMP is under an obligation to carry out the survey of the children in the age group for 0 to 14 years. However, without awaiting the direction of the Court, BBMP may commence door to door survey of the children in the age group of 0 to 18 years.

The court issued the directions while hearing a suo-motu petition based on media reports highlighting about large number of children dropping out of school. The matter will next be heard on August 24.