Window-Less School With Toilet 1 Km Away: Himachal Pradesh HC Registers Suo Moto PIL [Read Order]

The Himachal Pradesh High Court has, on its own motion, taken notice of a newspaper report about the shocking condition of a government school in Kupvi, Shimla.

The Amar Ujala newspaper had reported that Government Middle School Juru-Shilal, Kupvi Shimla, is housed in a complex, which has no open windows or window panes. Also, windows are covered by gunny bags. Children have to walk 1 km for using the facility of toilet. 34 kids, including 20 girls, study in this school.

Justice Tarlok Singh Chauhan had requested this issue to be treated as PIL.

Expressing shock over the details given in the report, the bench of Justice Sanjay Karol and Justice Ajay Mohan Goel observed that this condition of school is “in the 21st Century and that too, despite the enactment of the Right to Education Act, 2009 and Hon’ble the Prime Minister of India having launched the Swatch Bharat Scheme”.

The court has also appointed advocate Arjun K Lal as amicus curiae in the case. The bench also directed the Sub Divisional Magistrate and Block Elementary Education Officer to visit Government Middle School Juru-Shilal, Kupvi Shimla, and submit their report in the matter.